Whisper
by StoneByrd
Summary: [Darkness... and a pair of empty eyes.] When the Ninja are rescued from a new threat, they plunge into a world of darkness, danger, magic, mysterious new allies, and the monsters in the minds of their own friends. Destinies will intertwine to defeat the one being the Ninja thought they would never fear again. Things have never been as they seem... (Now updating! Cover art is mine)
1. Prologue

Dark Island

Sixteen years prior

* * *

The room was lit only by a candle, glowing with a red light, and it was filled with a heavy silence that grated on his ears.

The figure moved. _Grrrink_. The sound of metal on metal echoed in the stone chamber. The figure - an android - placed his hand on a table in front of him.

"_It is complete_," he whispered. "_At long last, it is complete._"

Another figure moved. He stood in the corner of the stone room, scowling. "Are you completely sure you want to go through with this?" he asked. He took a step forward towards the android, his pale face concerned and slightly disapproving. "It is too risky, master. Something may go wrong."

"_That's why I have you here, Hokori,_" the android said. Its voice reverberated with determination and pleasure - with an undertone of evil. "_So that nothing goes wrong_."

The man cocked his head, but said nothing. The android continued.

"_It is too long that I've been in this state,_" it said. "_I need to do this, if only to preserve myself. And you will help me._"

"What shall I do, master?" Hokori asked.

The android turned around and put its cold metal hand on the man's forehead. The man flinched. "_You will exist_," it said quietly. Hokori swallowed nervously and gave a nod.

Android turned around and touched the paper on the table. The paper had markings on it - black lines and intricate designs curling all around the edges of the paper. The android laughed. It was a dark laughter that sounded distinctly familiar.

"_YA odin_," he said. Hokori froze - the android's hand on his forehead was suddenly warm. The room seemed to start trembling.

"_YA ten'. YA t'ma. YA vse eto bez sveta_," the android said.

Hokori grabbed the android's hand and tried to pull it off himself. "Stop!" he said. "Stop! You are using me, _Povelitel'_!"

"_Teper' ya dolzhen byt' dva_," the android said. There was an evil grin in his mechanical voice. Hokori started writhing, screaming in protest - the room was beginning to feel heated - the hand that was touching the man's pale forehead was white hot, yet was not burning his skin. "_Split moyu dushu, i pust' dva sushchestvovat'._"

"Povelitel'!" Hokori screamed. "_Povelitel'_!"

_This is not fair! This should not be happening! Why would it do this to me?_ Hokori's vision was blurring with painful tears. It felt as if his soul was being ripped from his body.

"I have done all I can!" he said, his voice breaking, echoing in the room. "All that I can to serve you! What have I done to deserve this?!"

The android laughed. "_Pale man_," it said. "_I am Povelitel'. And you are an instrument in my hands. You will be called Soren, and you will be loyal to me, and only me, because you and I are the same. You and I are darkness, you and I are power - you and I are one._"

The pain was too much.

"_We are one_."

He was never to exist again.

The android laughed and drew his hand from Hokori's forehead. Hokori fell to the ground - he was dead.

"_We. . . are Povelitel'_."

* * *

The Glacier Barrens

9:47 PM

* * *

Snow and ice.

Lots of it.

A man pulled himself into a cavern in the face of the snowy cliff. He surveyed the darkness that lie before him, eyes glinting in the dim, snowy light. It was terribly cold, and the man was dressed in black, with a dark, heavy winter coat and scarf, with a cloak over all that.

He pulled a small white pen out of his coat pocket, and drew something on the cliff wall with it. Then he pulled off his glove. His hands were tattooed with dark green lines and swirls, which were intricately woven together to form a sort of eye-twisting puzzle.

He touched his index finger to the drawing, and the drawing and his tattoos lit up. The green light spread from his fingertip all the way to the back of the cave in a thin line that followed the small indentation the man had made with his pen. The man watched it intently.

The narrow green line flashed white, then disappeared with a sharp, resounding _crack_. He lifted his finger from the drawing and pocketed the pen.

His wrist communicator buzzed at him. He answered the call.

"At your service, ma'am," he said, in a deep, cold voice. He had a thick, unknown accent.

"What's the state of things?" replied the voice emitting from the wrist communicator, which sounded distinctly Ninjagian.

"Their numbers are growing, ma'am. There's no way we can fight them."

"Hot spots?"

"The Glacier Barrens, Birchwood forest, and Torchfire Mountain, as well as the Golden Peaks."

"Copy that. . ."

"You keeping a tab on those warriors you were speaking about last conference?"

"Yep. Have been for a few months. I'm checking up on them as we speak. . ." said the communicator. There was a brief moment of static silence. The man waited patiently, slipping on the glove he had removed.

"Hold on a moment. I'm getting something. . . . what. . .?"

"What happened?"

"There's a foe heading for straight for them!"

"What? Where are they?"

"Outskirts of NinjaGo City, near the Badlands. . . It's trapped in their vicinity. . . not picking up any allies, it seems to be alone. Should be an easy suppression, but you're no where near where they are and those warriors have never dealt with a Whisperer before."

"The City is supposed to be safe," the man said, unzipping his coat and pulling a little coin out of one of the side pockets.

"I know. How did it breach our security?"

"It doesn't matter how it breached right now. What we need to do is reach that Whisperer before it's too late." The man flipped a coin and caught it. He opened his hand and said to it, "NinjaGo City." The coin glowed orange.

"You're right, of course. . . can you get there in time to stop it?"

"Of course. Commencing teleport."

"Thank you, Gahiji. Really, this means a lot to me -"

"It's only part of the job," The man interrupted tersely. He felt a tickling sensation as he stared at the coin. "Hey, you didn't upgrade my coin or anything, right? This feels different."

The communicator sounded guilty. "Heh. . . I don't know, but I think Amilia might have gotten a hold of it at some point. . ."

"Meaning you let her tinker with it?"

"Well, not tinker. . . exactly. . . she said she was upgrading it. Said the upgrade is supposed to get rid of the nausea after a teleport."

"Oh, thanks, London." The man was annoyed. "I'm sure to show up at the City missing a couple digits." His body began to fizzle out of existence.

"Sorry, but you know how it is. If that lady wants to do something, she does it, heck with the world."

"Sounds accurate." He closed his eyes. "Now let's go save your son."

"Yes," the communicator said slowly. "Let's go save my son."


	2. Empty Eyes

**A/N: And now, welcome to the world of Whisper. **

* * *

Empty Eyes

* * *

"Would you just be quiet?" Lloyd hissed. Jay laughed, and Zane rolled his eyes.

"What?" Jay inquired, sniggering. "Is Lloyd afraid of the little spider?"

"No!" Lloyd said angrily. "Of course not! I'm the green ninja, for crying out loud! A little spider won't scare me."

Having said this, though, he swallowed and inched away from the plant.

"That sounds a lot like self-deception to me," Cole remarked placidly. Lloyd glared at him and folded his arms.

The Ninja were walking home from the movie theatre. They would have called on Nya to pick them up, but Nya would not stop by the movie theatre when they could just walk the two miles from NinjaGo City to the Destiny's Bounty, which was parked just outside the city's outskirts in the Badlands.

Jay leaned down to the plant that was growing out of the crack between the pavement and the concrete wall of the alley. "Aww, look, it's so cute," he said, and put his finger next to the spider that was crawling quickly over the summer leaves. The daddy longlegs moved onto Jay's finger. Lloyd looked repulsed.

"You know," Jay began, grinning at Lloyd in the dim light that reached the shadows of the alley. "Daddy Longlegs are one of the most poisonous spiders in the world."

"N - nuh-uh!" Lloyd stammered. "You're just messing with me because you think it's funny!"

"You are correct, Lloyd," Zane said. "There is no reference to any pholcid spider biting a human and causing any detrimental reaction. No information is available on the likely toxic effects of their venom in humans, and there is no scientific basis for the supposition that they are deadly poisonous, furthermore there is no reason to assume that it is true."

"See?" Lloyd said, relieved. "They're not poisonous, Jay. You couldn't fool me."

"Oh." Jay looked disappointed. Then he brightened. "Well, since it's not poisonous, do you want to touch it?" he asked, holding it up to Lloyd's face.

Lloyd gave a yelp and stumbled backwards into the other wall. The Ninja all laughed.

"T-that's not funny!" Lloyd protested.

"Oh, right, right," Kai said, snickering. "The Ultimate Spinjitzu Master is afraid of a harmless spider you guys, stop laughing at him."

Lloyd growled, and Cole and Jay laughed even harder as they continued walking.

"Ooh, that tickles," Jay said, and giggled as the spider crawled over his arm and onto his shoulders. The daddy longlegs made its way up his neck and over his chin, nose, and forehead. Jay tittered helplessly.

"Okay," Cole admitted. "I have to agree with Lloyd, that's a _little_ bit creepy."

Jay just laughed all the harder.

Kai halted. The others stopped, too. Kai was blocking up the path.

"Hey, Kai, what's the deal?" Jay said, gently removing the spider from his hair.

"Shh! Don't you hear that?"

The Ninja listened. But the alley was still.

"I don't hear anything," Cole said.

"I'm telling you, there was something!" Kai hissed. "Something up there. . ." He pointed up at the two rooftops of the buildings that closed them in. The Ninja all looked up.

They heard a scuffling noise.

"I heard it!" Jay whispered.

"Footsteps," Zane said warily. "And yet. . . not _quite_ footsteps."

"Whatever it is, it needs to be dealt with," Cole said. The Ninja all went back to back, ready to attack.

There was nothing.

Jay leaned over to Kai's face, keeping his hands raised to defend himself. "Uh, Kai, are you sure there's something out there? I mean, uh, it's-"

"Shh." Kai squinted ahead of him, trying to separate shadows from darkness. "I'm sure something is there."

Jay looked skeptical. He leaned over to his other side, and spoke into Zane's ear. "Hey, uh, Zane, what did you mean, exactly, by footsteps, but not, exactly, quite footsteps?"

"Quiet, Jay," Cole ordered harshly. Jay bit his lip and reassumed his ready stance.

There was still nothing.

"But Cole -" Jay began.

"Seriously, Jay! Shut up!" Lloyd snapped quietly.

There was a silence. Jay felt the daddy longlegs still crawling over his ear, and it sent shivers over his spine in the tense darkness.

"Guys," he whispered. "I really don't think there's anything out -"

"Jay, shut up!" Cole lost his patience and leaned over to flick Jay's ear.

Nothing moved.

"I guess it really was nothing," Kai said reluctantly, and relaxed. Cole glanced at him, but he relaxed, too, and they kept moving.

"Guys," Jay whispered. He was still tense.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you were right, I was wrong," Kai said sourly, waving his hand. "Get over yourself already."

Jay stared ahead into the darkness, and he felt more than just the spider crawling down his spine. "Guys," he mouthed, unable to speak. His legs collapsed beneath him, and he fell to his knees.

"Jay?" Zane asked, and turned around.

Jay coughed. He couldn't breathe. Something was cutting off his oxygen. . . something that seemed to be crushing his lungs and throat. He went down on all fours, coughing and shuddering until he had no energy to cough at all.

"Jay!" Kai shouted.

He couldn't take the crushing nothingness any longer. The Master of Lightning fainted.

The Ninja were horrified. "Zane!" Cole said, backing up with everyone else. "What is that thing?!"

"I'm searching my entire systems - but no identification is coming up! It seems to be a. . . a. . ." Zane searched for the word in vain. The Ninja's eyes were wide.

"Jay!" Kai said. "Jay, get up! Oh, no, Jay!"

Their foe was not recognizable at all. Darkness. That's all it was. Darkness. . . and a pair of empty eyes.

Kai launched an attack on the shadow, expecting to tumble through the black mist, but was blocked by something huge and dark that _clang_ed loudly. Kai fell backwards, and Zane darted forward and caught him.

"Woah," Kai said. "What _is_ that?" He pointed at the sharp claw that had blocked his blow. It was an immense, black, four-fingered hand that was easily as large as Kai himself.

"That is this creature's defense and offense," Zane said, helping Kai to his feet. "And a quite good one at that."

"You can admire our enemy's advantage later," Cole barked. "For now, _duck_!" He pushed down on Zane and Kai's heads, forcing them to the ground, and Lloyd ducked as the creature made a lunge at them. The meter-long, heavy claws sliced through the air above their heads.

Kai stared at the blue lump on the ground that was Jay, and felt anger bubbling up inside him. "We have to get to Jay," he told Cole. Cole nodded.

"Lloyd, Zane and I will distract it. You grab Jay."

"Got it." The Ninja all stood up, then jumped backwards immediately as a second hand made a swipe for them. The blank eyes that peered through the dark mist of the creature narrowed in anger, and the creature spoke.

"_Death to the Five_," it said. Its voice was bone-chilling and worse than anything the Ninja had ever heard. "_Death to the Five._"

"W-what does it mean, death to the five?" Lloyd asked.

"I've no idea," Zane said. "Except that there are five of _us_."

"Wonderful," Cole said sarcastically. "Death to the Five. We're so hooped."

The creature attacked again. The Ninja ducked.

"'We're so hooped'?" Kai repeated. He edged around to one side of the creature, trying to find an opening for him to reach his brother. "Sounds like something Jay would say."

Cole groaned. "Oh, no, did I actually say it?" He jumped forward and attacked the claw like Kai had, but he missed - the creature brought its hand sharply upward and brought it down on Cole's back. Cole yelped in surprise as it thrust him violently to the ground. "How -?!" Cole said, his voice squeaking.

"Cole!" Zane shouted.

Cole coughed. He struggled underneath the hand, managing to shift his position - he was now back to the ground, belly up. "I don't - it's somehow - I can't breathe - _help_!"

The creature pressed down harder on Cole's chest. Cole coughed blood.

"Cole!" Kai said. The Master of Earth clenched his fists and tried to breathe, but no air would come.

_What can we do?_ Kai thought frantically.

Then something red slashed through the creature's fist. The hand dissolved, becoming nothing, and the creature let out a terrible roar of pain that filled the Ninja's ears. Cole's lungs released and he could breathe again.

Kai's vision was suddenly blocked by a long, black, flowing cloak. A tall man had appeared out of nowhere, bringing a cold wind with him. The man's finger was to the wall of the alley - Kai noticed lit up markings on his hands, and a thin line of red light spread from his pointer finger into the darkness that was the creature. In the red light, Kai saw his face; stony, dark and silver-eyed, with flyaway white hair, that trailed behind him and into his winter cloak's hood - he was unlike any Ninjagian Kai had ever seen.

The darkness moaned in agony, and Kai covered his ears. It was like a million voices screaming for help.

The figure seemed unaffected. He kept his hand on the wall and took a step forward. He held out his hand. "One," he said. The creature kept screaming. It seemed to be imploding on itself. "Two. . . three. . . . four. . ."

The mysterious figure took his finger off of the wall and replaced it with his knuckles, punching the concrete. The light flickered, then burst in a thick wave towards the darkness.

"Five," the man said definitely.

The darkness gave one last deafening, million-voiced shriek, then flickered and fizzled out of existence.

A tiny white glow remained, different from the white of the empty eyes - a calming blueish-white. But it had disappeared before Kai could identify its figure.

There was a silence. The man lifted his fist from the wall and the red line disappeared.

Kai came to himself first. "Jay!" he said, and crawled over to him. He couldn't tell if his friend was breathing. Jay's face was pale and his skin was cold.

The man strode forward to Kai and Jay. Kai scooted backwards to let the man approach him. There was no sense in fighting a man who had rescued them.

"Is Jay. . .?" Kai asked, feeling nauseous. "He's still. . . or is he. . .?"

"Not if we hurry," the man said, and pulled a vial of translucent green liquid from the depths of his cloak. Kai jumped at it, but the man blocked his blow.

"What are you going to do?" Kai asked.

"Perform a simple healing technique. Don't be so suspicious." The young man glared at him. Kai found it extremely frightening to see just the man's silver irises, which caught the dim light in such a way that it made him seem catlike and threatening. "It's just concentrated peppermint extract."

Kai clenched his jaw, but allowed their rescuer to tip the liquid into Jay's mouth. The man removed his black gloves, and Kai took another long look at the tattoos covering his left hand. A series of thin, coordinated swirls and lines wrapped the back of his hand as well as his palm, running all the way up his pointer finger and gathering in a swirl on the tip of the digit. The ink was deep green.

The man closed his eyes, his neat white eyebrows furrowing in concentration, and he put both hands gently on Jay's forehead. Kai watched him rock back and forth on his knees, and his voice sounded constricted and soft. "_Yesli mir pust' bedet, zhit'._"

Kai, Zane, and Lloyd watched in fascination. The man kept his hands on Jay's too pale, cold forehead, and whispered, "_Zhit'. Zhit'. Yesli mir pust budet, Zhit'._"

Nothing happened. Kai felt his heart pounding loudly in his chest._ Is Jay really. . .?_

Then Jay coughed. He spluttered and trembled, red liquid - blood, Kai realized - spurting out from between his lips. The man lifted his hands from Jay's forehead and rubbed the teenager's shoulders and chest soothingly. "Hey, it's alright. You're alive."

Jay turned over onto his side, placing his hand on the pavement to support himself as he leaned over to let the blood exit his mouth. He took shuddering breaths. The man massaged Jay's back with his strong fingers.

He glanced over at Cole, who lie a little distance away, clutching his head.

"Hey," he said, and like a cat, leapt from one patient to the next. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah," Cole said timidly, sitting up. "A little - a little dizzy is all. . . and nauseous. . ."

"Have this." The young man handed him something small and white, with red stripes. "You'll feel better, trust me."

Cole hesitated, then popped the peppermint into his mouth. The color returned to his face almost instantly. "Wow," he said. His voice stopped trembling, too. "I do feel better. Thanks."

Kai stared at the man. "Who are you and what the heck was that?"

"You ought to be grateful that I saved you," the man said tersely. Kai ignored him.

"Who are you?!"

The man paused. "I'm afraid I cannot divulge that -"

Something buzzed.

The man sighed and stood up. "One moment, please, I must answer this." He pulled back the sleeve of his cloak, revealing a metal wrist communicator. "At your service, ma'am."

"Did you get there in time?" said a voice, which seemed to be coming from the bracelet.

"Barely. One of them was nearly taken, another on its way."

"Is he safe?"

"They're all safe, ma'am. But they're demanding my identity."

The voice paused. The Ninja listened all the more intently to the conversation.

"Send them to Base. You come, too. I. . . _we_ have a lot of explaining to do. Give them your name and take them here pronto."

"Will do, ma'am."

The man ended the call and turned to face Kai. "I have orders to bring you five down to Base. Do not try to resist." The man pulled a small coin from his pocket and flipped it.

"Give us your name, first," Kai objected. The others nodded in agreement.

The young man swept back his hood, giving them a better view of his pointed features. "I am Gahiji," he said. "And I am your escort this evening." His tone suggested a humble escort, but Kai could see in his silver eyes - he felt far superior to them.

"Thanks," Kai said dubiously. "And where are you taking us, exactly?"

Gahiji grinned. It looked like it was meant to be reassuring, but appeared very sinister. "Down," he said softly. The coin in his hand glowed orange. "Everyone touch this coin."

"What will it do?" Lloyd asked. He helped Cole to his feet, and assisted Zane and Kai in helping Jay stand.

"It will teleport us. Put your finger on it."

All the Ninja hesitated. Then they put their fingers on it.

"I apologize," Gahiji said. "One of my comrades may have messed with the designs. Don't worry, you will all come through all right, but you may experience a tickling sensation."

The Ninja all exchanged nervous looks, but they didn't have time to object before they felt themselves decomposing. Slowly, yet too fast for their likings.

Kai gasped. Then he giggled. It felt like thousands of tiny hands were tickling him. The others were laughing, too.

"Well," Gahiji said. He wore a grimace. "This is a bit more extreme than I thought." His voice was constricted, as if he was trying really hard to keep from laughing himself.

Kai laughed at him.

"Here we go," Gahiji said.

Kai gave one last short, loud laugh, before they disappeared.

The alley was still once more.

A small spider crawled over the summer leaves of the plants peeking out of the cracks in the pavement.


	3. London

**A/N: Shauto rituals are spoken in Russian. In NinjaGo, they call the Russian language "Amid".**

* * *

Down

10:12 PM

* * *

The woman sat back in her chair. She tapped her fingers on the dashboard. _Any minute now,_ she thought nervously. _Any minute now and he'll be here. I'll have to tell him everything... _She self-consciously pulled her hood over the scar that ran down her face, which disappeared into the folds of her cloak before you could see where it ended.

"Are you worried?" said a voice behind her. The woman turned around to see a short, brunette girl peeking over her shoulder.

The woman shook her head and looked back to the center of the room. "No, not worried, per se... I'm just... " She sighed. "I'm afraid he won't take it that well. After all these years, and after everything his father told him - he's not going to understand. And he shouldn't."

The girl smiled. "Don't worry about it. He'll just be glad to see you're alive, London. I'll bet he runs straight into your arms."

"I doubt _that_," London said, and let out a short, false laugh. "He'll act just as his father would. He'd yell at me." London smiled sadly. "But thanks anyways, Amilia. It'll be fine, I'm sure."

The teenage girl, Amilia, nodded. "They should be here in approximately five seconds," she told London, who rolled her eyes.

Four seconds later, a bright orange light filled the control room. The woman sheltered her eyes against it. Laughter rang in her ears as the Ninja came tumbling into the room.

Gahiji was the only one who kept himself composed, albeit with a crooked smile on his face and a slight slouch, as if he had been tickled relentlessly for about ten minutes. The rest of them collapsed on the floor in fits of laughter. London's heart caught in her throat watching them - watching _him_.

"We're here, ma'am," Gahiji said. At the sound, the Ninja stood up and brushed themselves off, pretending not to have had a hysterical fit of laughter, and examined their surroundings.

"Woah," Jay said, his voice shaking ever so slightly. "Where are we?"

"I told you," Gahiji said. "We're _Down_. And now we're going to tell you why you're here, aren't we, London?... London?"

The woman in front of them put a hand to her mouth. The Ninja couldn't see her face underneath her black hood, but they could tell something was wrong. Gahiji hurriedly put the coin in his pocket and strode towards her, clutching her elbow lightly and helping her out of her chair. "It's okay," he said gently. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"I just -" London tried to say. She choked on something. Gahiji looked up at Amilia, who seemed worried.

"Take her to her room, please," he said. Amilia nodded and helped London, who suddenly seemed very frail. Gahiji stood up as they left the room.

"My apologies," he said to the Ninja. "I suppose_ I_ shall explain, then."

"Wait, what happened to that woman? Is she alright?" Zane asked, staring at the door the two had exited. Gahiji shook his head.

"It's a personal matter," he said simply. "Don't worry about it. Not yet," he said.

Kai pinched his lips together tightly. "So, you're going to answer our questions, then?"

Gahiji nodded. "Ask away, my friend."

"Alright." Kai cleared his throat. "First of all, where are we?"

The Ninja all looked around. The first thing they noticed was that the room was about as big as the kitchen in the Destiny's Bounty. The walls were also metal. A huge screen covered an entire wall, and beneath it was a long stretch of buttons and keys and levers. It looked like a control room - to control what, the Ninja couldn't guess.

Gahiji's eyebrow twitched. "Let me say this for the third time now," he said. "We are _Down_. It is a secret base that harbors the Five."

"_Who_?"

"The Five."

"What do you mean, the Five? Was that what that creature was talking about, what with the whole 'death to the Five' thing? Did it have a grudge against them or something?" Cole asked.

"Yes, and yes, they do. The Five is an elite team of specially trained ninja, learned in both the art of Rescuing and in standard ninja training."

"What is Rescuing?" they all said together.

Gahiji stood erect, his hands folded in front of him. "Rescuing is a tactic used to eradicate pieces of a huge amount of darkness. For example, the creature I just saved you from was a Whisperer, which is one such piece. The way I defeated it was called Rescuing, which uses an art created specifically for removing the darkness from this world called -"

"Wait!" Kai yelped. "What do you mean, a huge amount of darkness? I thought after Lloyd defeated the Overlord -"

"We all thought that was the case," Gahiji cut in, annoyed that he had been interrupted. "But this energy is gathering beneath the _Dark Island_, which we had thought previously to have been affected by the defeat of the Overlord as well."

"Did you ever go to check?"

"Of course we did. But it wasn't the island's inhabitants that were the trouble. It was the Island itself."

"How long has this been going on?" Cole asked. All the Ninja were horrified.

"For about twenty years."

"What?!" Kai exclaimed. "Twenty -?!"

"That's what I _said_. Please listen," Gahiji interrupted. His silver eyes were grave and frustrated.

"Twenty years ago, one of our comrades detected a growing activity in a large section of the ocean. He went to investigate it, did some extensive research, and came to the conclusion that there was a mysterious power there unlike any that anyone had ever seen or heard of. Sentient beings of darkness were gathered underneath the ocean."

All the Ninja were fascinated, stuck somewhere between outrage and fright.

"He and four others banded together to research it. They were able study the creatures freely without interacting with them or the creatures detecting them for about a year. They found out many important things that we wield today in Down.

"But about a month after the first year of research, the creatures began to grow aggressive. Our comrade and his researchers realized that they could not continue to study the creatures when one of the scientists was killed."

The Ninja all felt dread and sadness in the pit of their stomachs at the statement. Gahiji paused, then continued.

"Ever since then, the researchers have been trying to keep the creatures - the Whisperers - under control. Everything was fine for about eighteen years. Then it got extremely desperate when Lord Garmadon teamed up with the Overlord to rebuild the island and the Overlord grew stronger. Some of the Whisperers began to seep through the cracks of the Dark Island in a liquefied state. We believe that the Whisperer's essence was used as a weapon during the final battle."

"You mean," Zane interrupted, "that the Dark Matter which turned all of NinjaGo evil was the essence of the Whisperers?"

"Precisely. After the Final Battle, we had hoped that the energy that had affected the Whisperer's essence had wiped them out completely. That was not the case - it had definitely weakened them and lowered their numbers, but they were not gone. For nineteen years since the researcher's death, we have been successfully keeping the Whisperers under control, even finding ways to remove them from this world. But, starting about two months ago, they became so powerful we couldn't possibly fight them, being so weak ourselves. We have a way to put an end to them, but not enough people who can.

"And that's why we need you. You are elite - you have helped bring down the Overlord in the past, and you have trained long and hard in the way of the Ninja. We fear that these creatures may be more powerful than the Overlord was, and The Five need you to help us bring them down once and for all, before all of NinjaGo is taken from us."

There was silence as the Ninja processed all this information.

"Wait," Jay said slowly. "So, does that mean we have to get one of those weird creepy tattoos like you have, or...?"

Gahiji laughed. Even though it was clear that he meant no harm, the Ninja shrank away from him - his quiet laughter sounded dark and threatening. "No," he said, grinning his sinister grin. "We have gloves tailored as replacements. You only get one of these if you want to be more efficient." Gahiji pulled off his glove and showed them the designs on his hand that crawled up his arm underneath the sleeve of his coat. The Ninja studied them.

"So we're going to learn what all _that_ means?" Jay said.

"If you're interested. You may choose not to learn what it means, but you will all learn how to use it." Gahiji pulled his glove back on.

"Does anyone have any other questions?"

"I do," Kai said. "Who was that woman? The one with the hood?"

Lloyd snorted. Kai glared at him.

Gahiji paused. "That was. . . London. She is the leader of the Five. London works behind the scenes, and she's a magnificent fighter and leader besides that."

Jay elbowed Kai in the ribs playfully. "The leader of the Five, huh?" he said, grinning. "Good _choice_."

Kai growled. "Shut up," he muttered, his face flushing.

Gahiji snickered. "Ha," he said. "Don't get your hopes up, Galdaichin. She's married, _and_ she has a son."

Kai choked in surprise. "How did you know my last name?" he said.

"We've been keeping tabs on you five, debating whether or not to contact you." Gahiji turned around to look at the screen behind him. "Now, we have no choice. You five must learn Shauto." He turned around and removed his glove, wiggling his fingers at Jay. "That's what these weird creepy tattoos are," he said.

Jay was acutely aware that Gahiji was making fun of him. "So who are the other Five?" he said, irked.

Gahiji put his glove on again and touched an icon on the screen, then poked a file and brought up three photos. "There's London, Amilia, Azamat, December, and myself," he said. "They all live here in Down. Amilia and Azamat will be training with you as you learn Shauto."

He gestured to the three photos. Amilia and Azamat looked like twins, with brown hair and pale skin, and they were definitely younger than the Ninja - they looked about fifteen years old.

"Amilia and Azamat look like kids," Lloyd said. "Why are they in the Five?"

Gahiji shrugged. "You'll have to ask them yourself. I don't butt into people's personal business. But if you notice," he said. He turned around and pointed at Lloyd. "_You_ look like a kid, too."

Lloyd rolled his eyes sheepishly.

The Ninja looked at the last photo. December, they guessed. She certainly looked like December - nearly as icy and cold as Gahiji was. The resemblance between them was too strong to be a coincidence. December had white hair, too, and the same tanned skin and cold eyes, except hers were blue instead of silver.

"Are you and December siblings?" Cole asked.

Gahiji hesitated. He closed the photos on the screen just as Amilia returned to the control room. "Ah, here you are, Amilia. Is she alright?" He didn't answer Cole's question.

"She'll be fine. She told me she needs five minutes before she can come back."

Gahiji nodded slowly. He lowered his voice, and only those nearest to him - Kai, Lloyd, and Zane - could hear him. "She'd better spill sooner than later."

"That's what I told her," Amilia replied, just as quietly.

"What am I talking about? She'll be fine." Gahiji sighed. He turned back around to face the Ninja. "This is Amilia. Amilia, this is the Elemental Ninja."

Amilia grinned, and her green eyes twinkled. "Nice to meet ya all. I'm Amilia, the youngest of the Five. Barely," she added sourly as she shook each of their hands in turn. "My twin brother came to this world about eight minutes and nineteen seconds before I did. Yet somehow I am the more mature of the two."

"Speaking of Azamat, where is he, the little troublemaker?" Gahiji said.

Amilia shrugged. "Probably troublemaking. My best guess would be that he's in your bedroom, rearranging your toiletries."

Lloyd laughed again. The other Ninja all grinned.

Gahiji groaned. "That would be the fifth time he's done that now?"

"Fifth and a half, actually. You caught him in the middle of one such prank about eight months, six days and forty-three minutes ago." Amilia grinned. "If you hurry, you could make it six times instead of six and a half."

"I'll let the idiot get away with it. It's not like he isn't expecting a punishment."

Amilia looked at each of them in turn. Her eyes rested on Cole. "Tell me your name," she said slowly, her smile fading. Cole obliged.

"Ah," Amilia said, and cleared her throat awkwardly. "Well, I'll be training with all of you for the next week. I'm nearly done with my studies. About seventeen hours and thirty minutes more of training will do the trick." She grinned and tossed her hair over her shoulder. Kai noticed that there was dark blue streaks in it.

"I'd better go," she said. "I've got a bit more studying to do. I also need to enter that information you gathered forty-nine minutes ago, Gahiji. Have a hard copy?"

"Nope, sorry. You're going to have to deal with your picture-perfect memory."

"Why thank you! It is picture-perfect, isn't it?" Amilia smiled, and winked at the Ninja. "I'll see you all in the morning. We'll have some serious training to do - you five need to get started on Shauto."

"Wait, Amilia. I was just going to ask you something," Gahiji said. His tone changed.

Amilia paused, and something changed in her demeanor as well. She sheepishly twirled a lock of her blue-stained hair.

"Yesss?" she said cutely, batting her eyelashes at him. Kai grinned at the two, not believing for a second that what Gahiji was about to say would be affected by batting eyelashes.

And it wasn't. "What the _heck_ did you do to my coin?" Gahiji said. Lloyd and Jay both snickered.

Amilia shuffled her feet and tried to make herself sound innocent. "I fixed it. The nausea looked like it was getting to you."

"No, no you didn't. You put a chemical transmitter in my coin. What chemical was it?"

Amilia hesitated.

Gahiji smiled a vampiric smile. "Go on, I know it was a chemical. You might as well say which one."

Amilia sighed and relented. "It was. . . a combination of serotonin, various endocannabinoids and dopamine," she admitted at last. Out of the Ninja, only Zane understood what those were, and he laughed out loud. The Ninja all looked at him funny, but Zane just kept laughing.

Gahiji swore under his breath. "No _wonder_," he said. "Lady, my brain will produce those, I don't need you sticking more in my body."

"You needed it though." Amilia stuck her tongue out at him. "And look, you were more talkative and carefree than you've ever been."

"Take that dang transmitter out of my coin, Amilia."

"Sure, sure. I will. I wondered how long it would take you to figure it out."

"Well, surprise, surprise, I'm not a complete idiot," Gahiji growled. "I've been using that coin long enough to know when something's different." He took the coin out of his coat and placed it in the palm of Amilia's outstretched hand, who giggled and pocketed it.

"Well, I'll go remove that transmitter and enter that information. See ya all tomorrow morning," she said, and waved at them.

As she was walking out the door, she paused. "Cole," she said. Cole jumped.

"Yes?" he said.

Amilia approached him. She looked like she wanted to say something, then closed her mouth. She patted his cheek lightly with her small, pale hand. Cole started.

"It's alright," she said softly.

Amilia smiled at the Ninja of Earth. Then she walked out the room, her wavy brown hair bouncing up and down as she went.

Cole touched his cheek, where her hand had been, looking utterly bewildered.

It was silent for a moment as the Ninja pondered her words.

"Well that was nice," Jay said sarcastically, hoping to lighten the mood. "Good to know that our fellow trainee will remember everything we say or do."

"Yes," Gahiji said. "That woman is a literal genius. Just don't disagree with her."

Lloyd gave a short "Ha". "Are you really that grumpy all the time, Gahiji?" he said.

Gahiji grunted. "Dopamine," he muttered under his breath. "_Tchh_."

Zane had recovered from his fit of laughter. "So I guess we don't have a choice in this training business," he said quietly to the others. Kai nodded.

"This is a way bigger deal than we thought," he agreed. "Something more powerful than the Overlord? And then we have to learn this Shyou-to or whatever he called it."

"Shauto," Gahiji put in softly.

"We really don't have much of a choice," Lloyd admitted. "I mean, the whole of NinjaGo could be destroyed if we don't."

"So we'll do it?" Jay asked.

"We have to," Cole said confidently.

Kai looked up at Gahiji. "Alright. We'll help you."

Gahiji nodded. "Perfect. I'll show you to where you will be staying here in Down."

"Woah woah woah," Kai said. "First we have to call my sister. She and Sensei don't know where we are. And they need to know about this, too, they could help."

Gahiji nodded. "Let me show you around first. Then you can use this," he said, and showed Kai his wrist communicator. "It will call anyone."

"Why not my cell phone?"

"All outside communication devices' signals are cut off. This enables safer communication. You never know who might be listening."

"... Alright," Kai agreed, after a pause. "I'll go with that."

"Now, follow me, please," Gahiji began. But the door opened before he could say anything else.

In the doorway was a woman - it was London, Kai realized. Her black hood that she had been wearing earlier was swept back from her face, revealing stunning, slightly aged features; blue eyes and thick red hair that went own her back. A long, thin scar ran from her temple down the side of her face, her neck, and continued down her shoulders to places the Ninja couldn't see.

Then she spoke. "Cole," she said. "Cole, it's me."

The Ninja looked to Cole. The Ninja of Earth was stark white, his brown eyes wide.

"Do you know her?" Kai asked him. "Who is she?... Cole?"

Cole backed up a few steps. "_No_," he whispered. It wasn't an answer to Kai's question - it was a denial.

"It is, it's me, I promise," London said, reaching a hand out, even though they were a good distance apart.

"It can't be!" Cole yelled, suddenly passionate. "You can't be here! You _can't_!"

"But I am!" London insisted, fear and regret in her eyes. "Cole, sweetheart, I'm sorry, I really am!"

"I don't believe it!" Cole said. His voice broke, and he ran his hands through his hair. "I don't believe it," he repeated, softer.

"Son," London said.

Cole put a hand over his mouth. "... is that you, Mother?"


	4. Back To Your Roots

**A/N: Gahiji's name is a pronounced Guh-hee-jee or Gah-hee-jee. **

* * *

Back To Your Roots

* * *

London ran to embrace him. Cole was unable to do anything but stand stock-still, frozen in shock and outrage as his mother wrapped her arms around him.

"Son, there's so much to explain to you," she said softly. "Like why I left you, why your father never told you, and what's going on. I need you to listen to me, please."

Cole said nothing.

London pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. She brushed his long black hair out of his face and smiled sadly. "My little boy," she said. "I'm sorry it has to be like this, but -"

Cole squirmed out of the hug and pointed an accusing finger at her. "You'd better explain," he said fiercely. "Explain everything, and do it quick."

"Woah, Cole, don't be so rough," Lloyd said, jumping forward at him.

Cole gave Lloyd a hard stare. "I need to know why she lied. And the reason had better be a good one."

Lloyd saw the frustrated tears that Cole was trying to hide, and was silent.

London sighed. "Cole, I have a reason why I've been away."

To Lloyd, this was beginning to sound extremely familiar.

"It's all been going on for such a long time," London said. "I guess Gahiji told you when it started?"

"Twenty years ago," Cole said.

"I was there, when it all began. These creatures - these Whisperers - were more dangerous than they had ever been before. Only a handful of people in NinjaGo even knew they existed, and I was one of them.

"I was called on to do research with my friend, who was the scientist Gahiji spoke of." London paused. "I assume he spoke of him," she said, glancing at the white-haired man.

Gahiji nodded.

"I have known him for a long time. Brilliant scientist, brilliant. I was called on by him to put my talents to use in developing Shauto.

"And then, June third, fourteen years ago, I was called on to suppress the biggest wave of Whisperers in NinjaGo's history. It was terrible, and I truly believed I would not survive."

Cole's eyes widened. "That was the day you left us, wasn't it? You told father you were going to die, didn't you?"

London hesitated. "Yes," she admitted finally. "I did. I thought I wouldn't live." Her tone was sad.

"Why haven't you told him you're still alive?" Cole said. "He was devastated! For years, he couldn't even talk about you, because he missed you so much!"

London rubbed her arms. "I know. I know, and I'm so sorry."

"You need to tell him!"

"I can't."

"Why not?!" Cole was angry.

London looked at the metal floor. "Because he would die."

There was a silence.

"What?" Cole said.

"They would kill him. Lou doesn't know Shauto, he can't defend himself. He's a weakness. A liability. If the Whisperers found out that he was my husband, then they'd hold him hostage and probably kill him."

Cole's mouth hung open in shock. The Ninja were all silent.

London shook her head. "This is a dangerous game we play," she said. "We're outnumbered, a million to five. Though the power we wield is great, the devastation and destruction that the Whisperers create is too terrible to combat with so little people. But with your help, son!" London grasped Cole's shoulders. "You and the Elemental Ninja! We need you. All of NinjaGo needs you and your Ninja."

Cole shook London's hands off him. "Why haven't you ever come back?" he demanded.

"She is needed here," Gahiji said. He had been poking the large touch-screen for the entire conversation until now. There was now a large map on screen. "She knows probably more than anyone about Shauto except the scientist himself."

"Why not get the scientist then?" Kai put in.

London and Gahiji looked at each other.

"He's dead," Gahiji said simply.

The Ninja were silent.

"I am needed here," London said. "And now, you five are, too."

Cole pinched the bridge of his nose and looked away from his mother. "Fourteen years," he said under his breath. London touched his hair tentatively.

"Please, son, we need your help."

"We already agreed to it," Cole said. He jerked his head away. "Gahiji was just showing us around."

London looked hurt. Then she cleared her throat. "Yes, of course. Is there anyone you five need to contact?" she said, looking at the Ninja.

Kai spoke up. "Yes, I need to contact my sister," she said. "We should probably ring up Sensei and Garmadon about this, too. All three of them could help."

London nodded. "Here, have this," she said, and took her wrist communicator off. "It will contact anyone."

"I know," Kai said. He took it and inspected it.

"The first thing we need to do is show you around," Gahiji said. "Then you should all probably get some rest. You've had a long day."

The door opened. Everyone's heads turned.

"Whoops, sorry," said Amilia, when she saw the look on everyone's faces. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Gahiji said. "In fact, you're just in time. Mind showing these four to their rooms?"

Amilia blinked. "Sure, I could do that."

"Why did you come back? Have something to do?" Gahiji asked.

Amilia shrugged. "I just needed to grab that file on the dashboard there."

Gahiji turned around. There was a green file sitting on the panel of buttons and levers behind him. He picked it up and chucked it like a frisbee at her. She caught it.

"Thanks." Amilia stepped in front of the Ninja. "Follow me," she said softly. The Ninja decided to follow her. "I'll show you where you'll be staying for the night."

Gahiji put a hand on Jay's shoulder. Jay jumped. "You follow me, Walker. You were nearly taken back there."

"Taken?" Jay said, confused.

"You were close to death. I barely rescued you," Gahiji said.

Jay thought it was unnerving that Gahiji was so tall - Jay was five foot ten himself, but his head only came up to Gahiji's neck, which, Jay noticed, was tattooed as well, but weirdly. There was a line of black ink around his tan neck that circled once like a snake, then ended, pointing with an arrow to keep going around. The ink was different from the dark green ink of his Shauto tattoo.

"Follow me," Gahiji said. "We're going to the infirmary."

"I feel fine," Jay insisted as the tall man started pushing Jay gently out the doorway. "Really, I do."

"I know you do, but you're not. Come on."

"Come on, Cole," Lloyd said, grasping the Master of Earth's hand. Cole reluctantly let Lloyd pull him away from London, shooting his mother a venomous glare. London checked him with a look, and Cole and Lloyd went out the door, following Amilia and the others.

"Quit being so angry, Cole," Lloyd hissed. "London's sorry. She told you."

"Excuse me," Cole murmured fiercely. "But my mother who's been dead to me just appeared, out of the blue, asking me to save the world. Can you blame me?"

"On your left is the training room," Amilia said, interrupting Lloyd and Cole's hushed argument. "That's where you'll be learning Shauto with Azamat and I. Gahiji and December have already finished their training, so they'll either be teaching or doing patrols. You won't see much of Gahiji after tonight (except for when he's teaching), but December often hangs around here. You'll get a chance to meet her soon."

The Ninja all peered into the training room. It wasn't metal, like the rest of Down - it was all wooden, harshly contrasting with the doorway, which was white steel. The floors were stained hardwood and the walls were rustic-looking, time-worn wooden planks. It was empty except for two chairs facing the wall.

"Not much of a training room," Kai said. "Where's the course?"

Amilia gave a small smile. "We don't have a training course in this section of Down. Shauto isn't a physical exercise - it's mental."

"Hey, kind of like Spinjitzu," Lloyd put in.

"Yeah, a bit, but not really. It's kind of like what you did with your golden weapons to turn them into vehicles. It takes all your willpower. The first thing you do in Shauto training is sit and learn how to focus your mind - probably the hardest part of the entire training."

Amilia began walking down the hall again. The Ninja took a moment to process this, still staring into the training room, then hurried after her.

"Wait, so the bulk of our training is going to be sitting and staring at a wall?" Lloyd said, confused. Amilia chuckled.

"Like I said, hardest part of all the training you'll ever do here in Down. These are the available rooms," she said, and stopped in the middle of the large hallway. She gestured on either side of her, where there were two doors. "Room seven, eight and nine aren't taken. You can split them up between yourselves. Here are the keys." Amilia pulled them out of her pocket and handed them to Zane, who was at the front of the group.

"Thanks," Zane said, inspecting the keys.

Kai raised his hand. Amilia looked at him.

"Uh, I can't figure out how to use this," he said, holding up the wrist communicator that London had let him borrow. Amilia came over to show him how it works.

"See this button here?"

"Yeah."

"You can enter your sister's phone number here. It's voice activated. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Oh. I thought that was the call button."

"No, you call with voice-command as well."

"Oh. Okay, cool, thanks."

"No problem." Amilia stood back. "Does anyone else have questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"There's showers and bathrooms attached to your rooms. Wake up at six, if you can manage it - that's when the food's hot. Latest you can wake up is seven thirty. Technically. Amzamat's broken that rule a couple times." Amilia grinned dryly. She pointed down the hall. "Head to that room at the end for breakfast tomorrow. Training starts at eight. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads again.

"Great." Amilia smiled and headed down the hallway. "Goodnight you guys. You have a long day ahead of you." She entered the room on the left, room three, and shut the door.

There was a moment of silence.

"I call a room to myself," everyone said at once.

Kai frowned. "There are only three rooms, you guys. Two people go in one, two people in another, and then I get the last one."

"You're mistaken," Zane said. "I believe I have the right to have the last room."

"Yeah? And what gives you the right?" Cole said, hands on his hips. "I'm the leader, I should get it."

"Nuh-uh," Lloyd said. "Look, I'm the Green Ninja. I need my space."

"Yeah, well so does the Master of Fire," Kai said, shaking his head. "I'm going to have the last room. If anyone opposes me, I'll set their hair on fire."

Lloyd pushed him. "I could set your hair on fire, too, if I wanted."

"Yeah, but you won't!"

"Then _you_ won't, either!"

Kai growled. "I would too!" he said.

Zane pushed them apart. "It's not that big a deal," he said. "I'll share a room with someone."

"One down, two to go," Cole said, cracking his knuckles. Zane frowned at him.

"I don't think so," said a commanding voice. The Ninja all looked up, startled. Gahiji had returned, along with Jay, the Blue Ninja looking very sick about something.

Gahiji gave them a disapproving look, and pointed to Lloyd. "You and Brookstone will share room seven. Galdaichin and Juliyn will share room eight, and Walker here gets room nine. No arguments."

The Ninja just stared at him.

Gahiji pushed Jay forward gently, then walked past them, the Ninja all parting to let the tall man through.

They all watched him enter the room next to Amilia's, room two, and shut the door.

Jay sneezed. "Sweet! I get a room to myself then?" He stretched out his hand to Zane, who grudgingly put the key to room nine in his palm.

"Don't lose it," he warned. Jay grinned, then clutched his stomach and moaned.

"Oh, man, Gahiji gave me something that tasted awful," he complained. "He said it was medicine, but -" Jay retched. "- aww, man, it was horrible. Fermented peppermint or something."

"You don't like peppermint?" Lloyd said, incredulous. Jay shook his head.

"I'm slightly allergic to it. Not too bad, but I always feel nauseous after consuming it."

Cole shook his head. "Zane, I need the key for room seven." Zane handed him it, and Cole thanked him. "Come on, Lloyd, let's get to bed."

Lloyd reluctantly followed him as he went to room seven, which was on the left. Cole shoved the key in the lock and turned it, opening the door and stepping inside. "Goodnight, you guys. See you in the morning. . . hopefully."

The Ninja all murmured goodnight, and Cole shut the door after Lloyd. Lloyd flicked the light on.

There was two pale green beds and a small dresser in between them. The carpet was brown and thick, and when Lloyd took his shoes off and set them by the edge of the second bed, it felt warm and soft beneath his feet. There was a lamp on the dresser, a closet across from the beds, and a bathroom and showering area to your left when you walked in.

Cole yawned. "Wow. All we did was try to come home from a movie, and look what happens." He sat down on the first bed and rubbed his face.

"At least it's not the Overlord this time," Lloyd said. "Although, what could be worse than him, I can't imagine."

"I dunno, that Whisperer was pretty terrifying," Cole said. He shuddered.

"Oh, by the way, are you okay? The Whisperer got you pretty hard."

Cole waved a dismissive hand. "I'm fine. . . Should be okay."

Lloyd nodded. Cole looked at the pillow listlessly, then began taking off his shirt, preparing for bed. Lloyd guessed he should probably do the same.

Then he had a sudden thought. "Hey, Cole. . . are you. . . um. . ."

Cole glanced at him. "What?"

". . . are you okay? I mean, with your mother. . . and stuff." Lloyd was sheepish.

Cole put his shirt in the top drawer of the small dresser. He didn't answer the Green Ninja for a few minutes.

"No," he said finally. He sighed, and let his head fall into his hands. "But nothing you can say will help."

Lloyd bit his lip and quickly peeled off his shirt, putting it in the second drawer. "I. . . well, I guess what I'm getting at is that I know how you feel. . . and, I just wanted to say that everything will be okay.

Cole moaned. "Please, Lloyd, I can't listen to that uplifting lecture that I know you have all ready to give me. I'm sorry, but I can't."

Lloyd continued, ignoring the Ninja of Earth. "I mean. . . it sounds like she really is sorry, Cole, and she only left because she had to. It's like what happened with my mom -"

"No, it's not," Cole said fiercely, sitting up. "You never had anyone lie to you. You were never told she was dead for more than half of your life. And you certainly weren't suddenly called on out of the blue to help your mom, who is actually alive, a secret agent, and working to keep the world from ending."

Lloyd felt hurt. "Okay, I wasn't lied to, and this didn't happen, either, but I know how you feel all the same!"

Cole ignored him. He buried his face in his knees, rocking slightly back and forth. Lloyd saw the vulnerable state that Cole was in. It made him feel helpless.

The door opened, and for a moment, the room was lit with more than just the lamp on the dresser. Lloyd realized it was London coming into the room.

Cole kept rocking.

London nodded at Lloyd, who allowed a small smile. She approached Cole's bed carefully. "Cole," she said softly, reaching out to put a hand on his bare back. "May I visit with you, darling?"

Cole was silent. Lloyd lay down in bed, trying his best not to listen to the conversation that was sure to follow. He didn't want to intrude - especially since he knew how this sort of thing went.

London sat down tentatively on the edge of the bed. "Son. . ." she said, rubbing Cole's back. "I understand how you must feel, and I'm sorry. It's just. . . you've grown to be such a strong, intelligent, handsome man."

"What did you think I'd grow to be?" Cole muttered. London paused, taking the question seriously.

"I thought you'd be less of a surly teenager, to be sure."

"Well, excuse me," Cole said angrily, lifting his head to turn around and glare at his mother. "But how would _you_ feel if your dead mother came out of nowhere, claiming that she needs your help saving the world and expecting you to just forgive her for lying to you for _fourteen years_?"

"Son," London said warningly. "Don't speak to me that way."

"See?" Cole demanded, and shook London's hand off his back. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. Treating me like a child and expecting me to go along with whatever you say just because your my mother. I'm not a little kid, London!"

"Cole, settle down," London said, alarmed. "I thought I could have a decent conversation with you. It's been so long."

Cole huffed and looked away. "There's nothing to talk about," he said.

"Oh, darling, I think something must have happened during the fourteen years that -"

"The fourteen years since you ruined my life?" Cole said.

London was shocked. "Cole, is that really how you feel?" she said. Her expression was mixed.

Cole looked up. "London, it was more than a decade!" he said angrily. "And now, after all this time, you're here telling me what to do and how to behave, just as if nothing had ever changed, as if you hadn't lied and gone behind mine and father's backs?"

"_Cole Brookstone_!" London said. Her voice was rising. "You know full well that I had a reason for it! Is saving the world less important than you getting your way?"

Cole opened his mouth in outrage. "No! I'm saying that you could at least be a little bit understanding! You'd feel the same if your mother had lied to you all those years!"

"Child, _stop_ this!" London said. Lloyd covered his ears.

"Stop calling me a child!" Cole said. His voice was rising. "London, I'm not a kid anymore! I've got a will of my own! I'm real, I've got my opinions, and I get to choose. You think that I'm just going to follow you blindly because you're my mother? You think I'm just going to forgive you after fourteen years of misery? No. No, London, that's not how it works. Fourteen years!" Cole's voice cracked. "_Fourteen years_ without a mother! Fourteen years trying to escape my nightmares, my grief, my father's ambitions, music, everything. My entire life, I've been trying to escape." Cole looked away, running his hands through his hair.

London couldn't respond. There was a shocked silence.

"And you left me to do it alone." Cole's voice was shattered.

Lloyd covered his mouth with his hands. All he could hear was his breathing, made ten times louder in his cupped hands, and the sound of his heart beating with suspense.

"Is that all you wanted to say?" London said quietly.

Cole nodded.

London stood up. She moved beside Cole, who still refused to look at her. Then she wrapped her arms around her son and buried her face in his hair.

"I'm sorry, son," London whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry."

Cole did nothing for a few moments.

"You're right," London said. "My son is no longer a little boy. He's a man now. He's a man." Her voice shook with tears - she was crying.

Cole resigned himself. He reluctantly rubbed her back with his hand.

"My little boy. . . oh, my baby boy, how I wish that I could have been there. I wish I could have seen you grow. I'm so sorry for this pain that I've caused you. I'm so, _so_ sorry."

"Mother," Cole whispered. Lloyd watched his leader's heart melt. "You. . . you don't know how much. . ." Tears began to spill over his cheeks. "You don't know how much I wanted to believe you were alive."

Lloyd's heart caught in his throat. _You don't know how much I wanted to believe you were alive. _The phrase rang true in his mind. He bit his lip and put a hand to his forehead, pretending that tears weren't streaming down his face faster than he could ever remember.

He knew exactly how Cole felt.

Not close to what Cole felt - exactly what he felt.


	5. Amidian

Amidian

* * *

Down, room eight

6:49 AM

* * *

Kai awoke to silence.

_Everyone must be eating breakfast. Why did no one wake me up?_ he thought groggily. He wished he knew what time it was. _Sensei usually comes in 'round about now_.

Kai rolled over in bed, not wanting to get up and too tired to really care.

He was just falling asleep again when someone knocked on the bedroom door.

Kai opened his eyes. When he saw the pale green covers keeping him warm and an empty bed beside him, confusion and panic made him sit up straight. Then he remembered yesterday's events and relaxed a bit.

The knock came again, a little more insistently. Kai collapsed back on the bed.

"Come in," he said, his voice sounding tired and unused.

"I can't," replied the person on the other side of the door. "It's locked."

Kai groaned. Reluctantly, he threw back the covers and got out of bed. The carpet felt unfamiliar. He was used to the hard floors of the Destiny's Bounty.

He opened the door.

A young man stood in front of him. He looked about fourteen or fifteen years of age, with chocolate hair dyed with green streaks. Kai guessed it was Amilia's brother. He was grinning like a loon.

"Hi," the boy said. "I'm Azamat, Amilia's twin. I guess she told you about me?"

"Yeah, a little bit," Kai said. "Nice to meet you."

Azamat held out his hand. Kai received a strong impression of the Master of Lightning as they shook. "Sorry to wake you. Just thought you wanted to get up before you were late. Breakfast started 'bout an hour ago." Like Amilia, his accent angled towards southern Ninjagian.

Kai blinked. "Did I miss it?"

"Another half hour and you would have. Your buddy Juliyn apparently didn't wake you up." Azamat motioned with his head down the hallway. "Better get going, eh?" he said, smirking. Kai thought he sounded and acted disturbingly inconspicuous.

Azamat led him down the hallway. Kai's bare feet made sticky sounds on the steel floor that echoed in the hallways, causing an awkward feeling to hang in the air.

Azamat cut through the awkwardness by glancing over his shoulder and flashing Kai a mischievous smile. "One word of advice, though," he said, his green eyes shining. "I wouldn't sleep in again, if you could help it. I'm fairly good with pranks and I've had ample time to hone my skills."

Kai looked at him dubiously. "Well Zane locks our room in the mornings apparently," he countered. "You couldn't get in."

Azamat laughed. "Oh couldn't I?"

He pulled something out of his pocket and jangled it in Kai's face.

Kai gaped at the key to room eight. "How?!" he said, when Azamat tossed it at him, and he caught it in midair.

"Snitched it off Juliyn this morning at breakfast. Won't do it again - not unless someone needs a marker mustache."

Kai stared at him, suddenly extremely conscious of himself. Then something occurred to him. "If you had the key, why didn't you just come in?"

Azamat shrugged. "I wanted you to rise and shine. Pretending you had to let me in was the best way I'cd think of."

"You really aren't playing around, are you?" Kai said.

They had reached the end of the hallway, where the breakfast area was.

Azamat winked. "Never have," he said sarcastically. "Everything I do is to promote some higher cause. After you." He gestured grandly to the entrance to the dining area and snickered.

Kai missed the sarcasm and decided to stay clear of this boy for a while.

He entered the dining area. It was almost exactly like the control room - the room they had teleported to - with a long table, sink, oven, stove, and shelves of food on the back wall. Everyone was seated at the table, empty plates before them, except London, who was cleaning up the mess she had made while preparing breakfast.

"Oh, there you are, Kai," Cole said. He looked at Kai and then snorted, covering his face with his hand.

Kai gave him a weird look. "What?" he demanded.

"N-nothing," Cole said. His shoulders were shaking with silent laughter.

Lloyd, sitting right next to Cole, cast a furtive glance at him as the Red Ninja sat down beside Azamat.

Jay snickered and leaned over the table to peer at Kai. "Tired?" he asked. He was smiling in a suspiciously sneaky fashion.

Kai nodded. _What in the world are they staring at me for?_ he wondered.

London appeared behind him suddenly. She swooped down and set a plate of eggs on the table in front of him. "It's cold, but that shouldn't be a problem for you," she said, and collected the empty dishes from Jay and Azamat beside him. She turned her head and caught sight of Kai's face. Then she stood up, looking quizzical.

"Uh," she said. Her gaze flickered to Azamat, who was humming a tune to himself. "... Nice facial hair," she said finally, and turned to walk away.

"What?!" Kai exclaimed.

Cole, Lloyd, Jay, and Azamat all burst out laughing.

Kai raised a hand to his upper lip and gave Lloyd a dirty look.

"Lloyd, Immuna kill you," Kai growled, standing up. Lloyd sheltered his head and yelped.

"It wasn't me! It wasn't me, I promise!" he said frantically. Kai's head swiveled around the room for the culprit.

His gaze fell on Azamat.

The fifteen-year-old grinned shyly. "Ain't I a stinker?" he said innocently.

"You!" Kai shouted. Azamat lept to his feet and started running. "Get back here, you little twerp!" the Ninja of Fire said angrily as he chased the boy out of the breakfast area, leaving everyone gasping for breath from laughter.

Azamat was beating him in the race down the hallway, amazingly enough. The slim boy knew the place better than Kai did, and he was having fun opening doors on Kai's face.

"Why the heck would you do that, you idiot?!" Kai said, after dodging another open door. "You could at least let me clobber you for pranking me!"

"You are _so_ much more fun than Gahiji!" Azamat called, and opened another door. "I told you that if you slept in, I'd give you a marker mustache, didn't I?" He laughed as Kai smacked his forehead on the door.

Kai rubbed his head and darted after him. "Slow down, will you?"

"Make me!" Azamat said.

* * *

And so, poor Kai chased the prankster through the entirety of Down, back through it again, up and down and upside-down, through broom closets and bedrooms, the kitchen again and the men's restroom (neither had the audacity to go in the women's), and through the control room until he finally caught said prankster.

Unfortunately, after he had finally done so, he was too tired to give him a proper punishment.

"You -" Kai gasped. He grabbed Azamat's shoulder for support. "Are - the - most idiotic - little - twerp - I - have - ever - met - besides - Jay."

"Well, I'm sure Walker appreciates that," Azamat said. He was breathing heavily as well, and just as much leaning on Kai for support as the Red Ninja was on him.

They leaned on each other and caught their breath.

Kai moaned and fingered his upper lip. "Did you seriously give me a marker mustache?" he asked.

"Yeah," Azamat said. "It's washable, not permanent." He grinned. "This's a warning prank."

"Even Lloyd managed to wake up before I did?"

"I'm afraid so."

Kai moaned again. "Aww, man. I hate you."

"I think I'm okay with that."

"You shouldn't be."

"Sorry, I still am."

"I can torch your face."

"Sorry, I'm still just fine with it."

"Gahh. Even threats don't work on you."

"That's right. Imma super kid. Nothin in the world ta scare me."

"Oh, that's likely," Kai said sarcastically.

"Believe what you want ta. Need these?" Azamat pulled a package of handheld wipes out of his pocket and handed it to Kai.

The Ninja of Fire glared at him, then snatched them. "I hate you."

* * *

The two of them finally returned to the breakfast area after Kai had scrubbed his face clear of any trace of handlebar mustache, which took about ten full minutes. Everyone was wearing a sort of victorious smirk. Kai sank down at the table in front of his eggs, giving anyone who snickered at him the evil eye.

Kai looked down the table at everyone. Cole, Lloyd, and Zane were across from him - everyone else was to his left.

Near the end of the table was a woman that Kai hadn't met, but recognized from the photos Gahiji had shown them. It was hard not to look at her, really - she was enchanting. She had full lips, icy eyes, and something undeniably powerful in the way her jaw was set and the way her body was built. Her hair was white, like Gahiji's, and cut pixie-style. She looked like a fighter.

Azamat noticed his staring. "Beautiful, ain't she?" he said, looking at the woman as well.

Kai nodded sheepishly, still a bit torked at the young man's audacity to even ask such a question - as if Azamat hadn't pranked him in the first place. Gahiji stood up from the table, taking his plate with him, and Kai assumed unconsciously that he was going to take it to London.

"That's Gahiji's sister, December," Azamat explained. "Besides London and Amilia, she's the only lady down here. And boy, I'd do anything to take such a sweet specimen like her out for a night."

Azamat jerked forward suddenly. Gahiji's elbow had clocked him in the side of the head as he went past. Kai snorted as the tall man kept walking, seemingly oblivious to the blow he had landed. Azamat rubbed his head, flustered.

"N-not like she'd go, anyways," he amended hastily. Kai and Jay stifled laughter as Gahiji shot Azamat a dangerous look while he handed his dishes to London at the sink. Azamat went pink and looked at Kai's eggs.

Kai had recovered from his fit, and looked at Gahiji. The man went to the door and waited, watching everyone chattering at the table. Kai tilted his head slightly, looking at Gahiji long and hard.

The man was tall, at least six feet, and had a color of skin that Kai hadn't ever encountered - a sort of caramelized chocolate color. His long hair was snowy white and went down a little past his shoulders. His eyes were silver, and he had a tattoo wrapping around his neck.

Kai looked around at everyone else. They all had pale skin, hair color ranging from black to red, and eyes that were no more pale than Zane's pale blue irises. Just like everyone else Kai had ever met.

Kai decided to say something about it. "Azamat? Gahiji - and December, too, I guess - look really different from everyone else," he began, unsure where to start. Azamat looked at him. "I've never met anyone that young with white hair. I'd guess that they'd dyed it, except I've never seen that color of skin before, either. Are they Ninjagian?"

Azamat answered carefully. "Well," he said. "They were raised as Ninjagian. They really Amidians - immigrants from the smallest island you ever seen, a nearby spit of land name Sneg. That's why they look different. They still Ninjagian, but a different race."

Jay was interested in the conversation. "I didn't know there was such a thing as another race of Ninjagian," he said. "That's really cool! . . . but why haven't we met any sooner than now? I mean sure, it's a small island, but if they're immigrants, we should have seen someone like them before now."

Azamat hesitated. He opened his mouth to say something. "I don't... uh, give me a sec." He put his hand on his chin and thought.

Kai and Jay waited patiently. Their gazes shifted from their informer to Gahiji again, who was still waiting by the door for something, then back to Azamat.

The boy looked remorseful. "I hate to answer it," he said finally. "It's really stupid. It's also kind of personal, so... I dunno if either Gahiji or December will object to me telling you..."

"Come on out and say it," Kai said. "If we're going to be living under the same roof, we best know a little bit about where those two came from."

Azamat shook his head. "See, thing is, most Amidians were killed in a brief war about fifty years back. Now, more than three fourths of them are slaves, and those who ain't can barely sustain themselves, 'cause no one wants to give an Amidian a job. And they're dying out. There are less than five hundred of them left in all of NinjaGo."

Kai and Jay just stared at Azamat. There was intense silence, filled with the casual chatter of the others speaking to each other.

"That's terrible," Jay said.

Azamat nodded. "It is. It's... kind of a touchy subject, so try not to mention it. Those two are just..." he searched for the word. "They ain't gonna take kindly to that sort of talk. Here in Down, we mostly just ignore that they're different. And really, it's not hard. They get their due respect. Boy, do they get their respect." Azamat chuckled. "Plus, they two of the best fighters this generation ever seen, not to mention legendary with Shauto. Yeah, they accepted, their skin ignored. Don't mention any of this I've told you to them, they won't appreciate it."

Kai and Jay both nodded. Azamat leaned forward, suddenly a lot more serious-sounding - if that were possible.

"That's also another reason why I want to get December out with me," he said. "I'm desperate to know where she came from and why she such an angel."

Having said this, Azamat was not surprised when Lloyd accidentally whacked Azamat's head with his arm. Kai and Jay both burst out laughing while Lloyd apologized frantically over and over again.

"I'm so sorry!" Lloyd said. "I didn't mean to get you!"

"Nah, that's fine - I had that comin' to me." Azamat smiled dryly while Kai and Jay both laughed harder.

Lloyd gave Kai and Jay a strange look - he had obviously missed Gahiji's rebuke - and resumed carrying his dishes to the sink.

Kai picked up his plate and warmed his eggs telepathically. "These are good," he said after the first bite.

London came past to collect Cole and Zane's empty plates, snorting indignantly. "Either that or you're really hungry," she said. "I've never been a great cook. Cole can attest to that, huh, son?"

Cole shook his head hastily. "Nah, mom, you were a pretty okay chef," he said.

London shook her head, too, but she was smiling as she carried his dishes to the sink.

"... compared to Dad," Cole added under his breath. Jay heard the mutter and snickered.

"Must run in the family," he remarked jokingly.

Cole punched him.

"Ten minute warning," said December. Her voice rang clear and deep across the room as she stood up, taking her dishes to London also. She went with her brother, which was apparently what Gahiji had been waiting for. They left the room together.

"Where are they going?" Kai asked.

"They're teaching," Azamat said, "so they have to prepare their lesson. But, boy, ain't December's voice something?"

Kai looked at him. He didn't find anything so great about December's voice. But Azamat went on.

"It's like... I can't even describe it properly, it's like honey and sugar and flowing water and chocolate, all at the same time. Then it's got this rough fighter's edge to it, don't it? Yeah, she really is somethin'."

Jay and Kai tuned out Azamat's consistent rambling, and Kai wordlessly ate his eggs.

* * *

"Shauto."

December pointed to the screen with a sharp finger.

There was an awkward silence from the Ninja.

December's face was stern. "Is an art created specifically for the containment and captivity of the Whisperers." She gestured widely to the huge screen, where there were three large symbols drawn. "It has the power to save, redeem, rescue, and destroy human souls. It gets this power from NinjaGo itself, and is especially dependent on the elements of this world, namely Earth, Ice, Fire, Lightning, and Life." She gave each of the Ninja a grave look, then continued.

"The power of these five elements is strong. If combined, they invoke the most powerful thing that exists; the ability to create."

Lloyd elbowed Kai. "Tornado of Creation," he whispered. Kai nodded.

"The power of this world's primary elements is beyond comprehension. Shauto uses this power to save and destroy. That," December said, and jabbed her finger at the Ninja. "Is why you five are so important. You are the keepers of peace - your very existence keeps NinjaGo from crumbling into oblivion."

There was another silence as the Ninja pondered this thought.

They all sat on the floor in the control room as December lectured them. Gahiji stood beside his sister, looking startlingly menacing. If this was how he normally was, then no wonder Amilia put the transmitter in. Kai would have done the same. He found himself trusting Gahiji less and less.

Amilia and Azamat were there as well. They looked bored with the lecture, having probably heard it before at least twice.

Kai wondered how they could ignore December. Her tone was so commanding that he was compelled to stare straight at her. It was loud, too. What had Azamat said before, something about her voice sounding like honey and rivers and chocolate...? Well, the river part was probably right. She kept right on talking like it was Jay telling you about his latest invention, only ten times less obnoxious, and a hundred times more assertive.

December retracted her finger. "But the darkness in this world is strong, too. The Whisperers have many attributes that make them hard opponents. For one thing, they are immortal. They have no body, no heart, no mind. Only a soul."

"For another, they can command elements."

The Ninja were shocked. "They what?!" Jay said.

Gahiji spoke. "We're not sure how," he said. "They definitely don't use Shauto to do it. If they did, our methods of defeating them would be ineffective. And they don't control anything very well. They have no mind, after all. Only a purpose and an existence. But they use their existence very well. The Whisperer that attacked you, for example. It commanded the element of Earth to create itself a weapon."

Zane raised his hand. December nodded at him.

"It sounds to me," Zane began, "like the Whisperer itself was nothing but a soul?"

"Correct."

"Then how does it exist without a body? And if it doesn't have a body, how come it had eyes?"

The Ninja remembered the eyes and shuddered.

December looked pleased. "Good question," she said. "I will answer the second one first. The 'eyes' that you saw were the Soul Eyes. Gahiji can explain it better than I can." She looked to her brother.

"The Soul Eyes are what Whisperers use to see," Gahiji said. "But they cannot see physical objects. They can only identify souls."

Zane nodded. "Okay, but how did the one that attacked us identify us?"

"It didn't," December said. "It stumbled upon you by chance. But I suppose that it may be able to identify the aura of the element that you wield. . . what do you think, Gahiji?"

The Ninja all looked to Gahiji. Amilia and Azamat suddenly looked interested by the bend in the information flow, and Gahiji paused.

"That would make sense," he said. His brow was furrowed.

Zane was confused. He shifted his position on the floor. "You say that it stumbled upon us by chance?" he said.

"Yes," December said.

"No," Gahiji said.

December looked at Gahiji, startled. The tall Amidian met her gaze.

December turned back to the Ninja. "That is yet to be determined," she said. "We'll take it up with London when she gets back from her patrol. What was the other question?"

"How does a Whisperer exist without a body?" Zane said.

December shook her head. "We don't know."

"Yes we do," Gahiji said.

The siblings looked at each other again.

Gahiji turned away and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll stop interfering," he muttered. "You just teach. I'm obviously not helping."

December rolled her eyes and addressed Zane. "That is yet to be determined," she said again, a little annoyed. "My brother has ideas, but nothing is solid yet."

Cole spoke. "Hold on a second," he said. "So, in all the twenty years that you've been learning about the Whisperers, you still don't know why they exist?"

December paused.

Amilia answered him. "We have estimations," she said. "If anyone knew for sure, it would have been the Doctor, but he's not here now."

Cole looked skeptical, but seemed to accept this.

"Let's revert to the lesson," December said. "What was I saying?"

"I was explaining how Whisperers command elements," Gahiji said softly.

"Oh, right. Sorry, continue, please."

Gahiji reassumed his assertive posture. "As I was saying. The Whisper that attacked you used the element of earth to create a weapon for itself, the so-called 'hands'. We will explain how this is possible further down the road. For now, we will focus on training your mind to accept Shauto. That was all I was going to say. Back to you, sister."

December turned around and touched the screen. Her fingers moved deftly, and there were muffled thumps as her digits hit the touchscreen. She opened a drawing program and began writing. Kai looked at her fingers, wondering if she had the same tattoos Gahiji had. But her caramel skin was clear of any markings.

"Your training will proceed as follows," December said. "First, you will spend time in the mental training room - probably about three to seven days."

"That's _training_ for about three to seven days," Azamat interrupted, smiling. "You'll still sleep in your rooms and eat meals and whatever. You won't literally be spending seven days in there."

There was a collective sigh of relief. Amilia and Azamat both laughed out loud while December snorted.

"Thank you for the clarification, Azamat," December said. The words "mental training" were now in scrawled handwriting on the screen. She wrote down their schedule. "After training your mind, you will proceed to the Shauto training room. It would be smart to keep fit in the physical training room as well. It will take about a week or longer to fully train you in basic Shauto. You will also be completing patrols throughout your training, but only with the assistance of an experienced member of the Five - namely, Gahiji, Amilia, London and I."

Azamat cut in. "Wha - I'm not an experienced member?" he said. His offence was exaggerated.

"You know full well that you're an idiot and you can't take a patrol seriously without my brother slapping you into shape. Don't pretend otherwise." December answered him without even turning around.

Amilia and Lloyd both snickered. Azamat shrugged.

"Well... maybe take away the slapping part, I'll agree."

"Well, you deserve it, you know," Amilia pointed out.

Azamat scowled at Gahiji as he passed.

"That will be your training program," December said. She turned around from the board and fixed each of the Ninja with an icy stare.

"Now, who wants to be the first to start?"

Everyone was suddenly quiet, the last of their laughter ebbing into silence.

December nodded slowly. "That's what I thought," she said softly. "Alright, how about this. Who wants dessert first tonight?"

Every single person's hand went up, excluding Gahiji and December. December chuckled softly, but Gahiji just shook his head.

"Alright, let's have Garmadon and Walker," she said. Everyone else's hands sank back to their sides as Lloyd and Jay high-fived.

December smiled. "You two will follow me to the MTR."

Gahiji spoke. "Amilia, will you call London?" he asked. Amilia nodded. "And then I want you and Azamat to run the Singe really quick. Will you do that?"

"I will." Amilia stood up and whipped her sleeve back to reveal her wrist communicator. Azamat followed her out the door.

Everyone stood and stretched.

Lloyd and Jay started to trail behind December, who was walking out the door. They looked nervous and excited.

The Ninja looked at each other.

"What should we do?" Kai said finally. Cole and Zane both shrugged.

"Whatever you do," Gahiji said. The Ninja all jumped - they'd forgotten he was still there. "Do it fast, because I can gladly find jobs for you. The PTR hasn't been cleaned in a while."

"We're good, thanks," Kai said, and hastily pushed the others out the door. Gahiji raised his eyebrows.

On their way out the door, Kai smacked into Amilia.

"Sorry!" Kai said. He helped the young woman stand up straight. "Are you okay?"

Amilia nodded. "Y-yeah. Where's Gahiji?"

Kai frowned. "He's back in there," he said.

Amilia scooted past him, muttering "Excuse me, sorry, sorry". "Gahiji!" she said. Her tone was urgent.

"Amilia, what is it?" Gahiji said.

"It's London," Amilia said, out of breath, holding up her wrist communicator.

"What did she say?" Gahiji inquired. His face was grave.

Amilia looked into his eyes.

"She's found something."

* * *

**A/N: This was supposed to be a serious story, I promise...**


	6. Marshmallows

Marshmallows

* * *

"It won't start?" said Garmadon.

"Nope, surely won't. How are we going to get to town now?" replied his brother sullenly.

"No clue."

"... This is going to put a damper on rescuing them."

"_Noooooo_ kidding."

Nya moaned and rubbed her face. "With all due respect, Sensei, Garmadon, please shut up," she said fiercely. The two old men shut their mouths and watched her.

"I don't understand," Nya said. "It was running when I went to bed. Why is it doing this? What in the world could have happened?"

She stood in the Bridge, leaning over the dashboard, while Misako, Wu, and Garmadon watched her anxiously. The power was down - The _Destiny's Bounty _could not fly, neither was it showing any readings on the large screen. Nya was frustrated.

"Something must have happened," she said. "But what? A great big ship like this couldn't have just broken down."

"Did it overheat? We are in the Badlands, after all," Wu said.

Nya shook her head. "It's only eight forty, going on nine. The sun hasn't been up for barely an hour."

"What could have happened then?"

"I dunno." Nya sighed. "I'll go check downstairs, see what's going on. Dang ship. Now how are we going to find the others?"

She stormed out the door and down the stairs that lead below deck. She had been trying to be patient with this, but unfortunately, her slow temper had been provoked when none of the Ninja answered her calls this morning. And now the_ Destiny's Bounty_ had broken down. Nya wasn't sure if parts for it were still manufactured - if that was the case, she would have to make them herself, and who knows how long that would take.

Nya threw the door open to the engine room, muttering under her breath. Usually she was more controlled than this.

Her temper nearly blew when she stepped in a puddle of gas.

"No way," Nya moaned. "Are you kidding me?" She growled and pressed her forehead to the door in resignation. The engine had a leak. No _freaking_ wonder.

The three adults followed her down into the dark room.

"What happened?" Garmadon said, when he saw all the gas on the floor. Everyone was at a loss.

"The entire engine's busted," Nya said. "We'll have to clean this place out and replace it with a new one. This is terrible! I don't know if they even make engines like these anymore!"

"And I'll bet that if you can buy them, they're worth a little more than we can afford," Garmadon said. Everyone let out a long sigh.

"I'm going to go get something a little more gas-ready on before I ruin these shoes," Nya said. She turned around and stomped out of the room, taking her shoes off in the doorway so she wouldn't track gas everywhere, and walked upstairs to her room. Garmadon and Misako both looked at the floor, which was slathered with gas.

Wu gazed at the engine. "What is that?" he said. He pointed to the bottom of the engine, catching his brother's attention.

"I can't see anything," Garmadon said. Wu took off his shoes and set them in the doorway, gently splashing through the thin layer of gas towards the engine.

"Wu, Nya is going to take care of it," Misako said. "What are you doing?"

"Looking at something."

Wu leaned down and checked the underside of the huge metal gas tank.

"Wu!" Garmadon said. "If you break that thing any more, you're going to have the Samurai X to answer to."

"I know." Wu stuck his hand down and felt the bottom of the engine. His fingers didn't find anything but oil and a large, empty spot at first - the leak. Then he cut himself on something sharp and metal. Wu hissed and pulled his hand back, quickly covering the wound with his kimono so that he wouldn't get gas in the cut.

"Are you alright, brother?" Garmadon said, noticing.

Wu nodded. "Fine. It's just a small gash. But I think I found the problem."

"What?" Misako and Garmadon said at the same time.

The Sensei reached with his other hand and gripped something hard that was sticking into the underside of the engine. He grunted when he got it loose.

Sensei held the shuriken up to show Garmadon and Misako. They both gasped.

"I may not be an expert with flying ships," Wu said dryly. "But I think I know what happened here."

Garmadon's brow furrowed, and he growled. "We've been sabotaged."

* * *

Gahiji strode down the hall, the others following as quickly as they could. "December!" he said.

December paused in the act of closing the door to the MTR. "Brother, what is it?"

"London's found something," Gahiji said. He stopped next to her and put his hands on her shoulders. December's eyes widened.

"Found something?" she repeated.

Gahiji blinked once.

"How desperate is it?" December said. Amilia spoke up.

"London's by NinjaGo City," she said. "It's urgent. She's in enemy territory and she needs backup."

December's mouth was a thin line. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go."

"Azamat and Amilia, we need you to stay here with the Ninja while we're gone," Gahiji said. He pointed to the Ninja. "You five. Stay out of trouble."

"What about their training?" Azamat asked.

"Postpone it." He looked to Amilia. "What's our type?"

"Stealth," Amilia said. She rummaged in her pocket and pulled out Gahiji's coin. "You'd better take this. She's near Yuj's Cliff. Be careful. Oh, and here's your glove." She held a white glove out to him. It was long, with Shauto symbols all down it - just like his left arm's tattoos.

"Thanks." Gahiji slipped his right glove off and replaced it with the white one. He stuffed the other one in his pocket.

"You taking the R-3 then?"

"We'll stick with the _Kahgei_."

December clapped a hand to Azamat's shoulder. "Amilia's monitoring us from Gadgets. Azamat, do your best to keep these five from melting Down," she instructed.

"Melting Down," Azamat said. He snickered. "That was a terrible pun."

December rolled her eyes. "See you all tonight... hopefully."

The siblings started down the hallway, their stride urgent.

The Ninja all looked at each other. Cole gritted his teeth, then started running after them. "Gahiji! Wait!" he called.

Gahiji turned around. "What is it, Brookstone?" he demanded.

"I'm coming with you," Cole said.

December sighed and glared at him. "Brookstone, your mother is in danger. You'll only slow us down by coming. Stay here and stay out of trouble."

"I'm coming with you," Cole said again.

"No," Gahiji said.

"Gahiji, my mother's out there, and she's in danger!" Cole said, his voice pleading.

"She's been out there every day for the past fourteen years. Quit your worrying." Gahiji turned to keep walking, when December put her hand on his shoulder.

"Brother," she whispered.

"What?!" Gahiji said.

December gave him a look. It was hard to decipher.

Gahiji growled. He turned to Cole and narrowed his eyes at him.

"Fine," he said at last. His tone was venomous. "Come on."

Kai suddenly appeared behind Cole. "If our leader's going, then so are we," Kai said. Zane, Jay, and Lloyd stood behind him, nodding their heads.

"No," Gahiji said. His tone was rising. "We're going on a stealth mission. No, you can't come with us, Walker especially."

"Oh, come on," Jay said. "Just because I nearly died yesterday -"

"No means _no_," Gahiji said.

"We'll stay out of the way," Kai said. "We won't even make a sound. We'll do only what you tell us to, we promise."

The Ninja all nodded furiously.

The Amidian man crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "What do you think, sister." The way he said it didn't sound like a question.

December hesitated.

"They won't harm anything if they're out of the way," she said slowly. "We'll keep them in the _Kahgei_ the entire time."

"Fine." Gahiji turned around sharply and started down the hall. "But I don't want to hear one chirp or peep out of any of you."

The Ninja all sighed with relief.

"Here we go," Lloyd whispered to Kai.

"That was a chirp," Gahiji said loudly. Lloyd and Kai both hurriedly shut their mouths and followed the two Amidians down the tunnel with everyone else.

The _Kahgei_ turned out to be a jet - a sleek, black jet that was long and thin, by no means luxurious. It was refurbished with retrofitting. The room it was kept in was huge. At the far end, to the left, was a huge opening leading to a launch room. Everything was lit dimly.

Jay clapped his hands to his mouth, trying to keep from "peep"-ing. "This is so cool!" he mouthed to Kai. Kai nodded, imagining how hard it probably was for the Mouth of Lightning to keep from speaking.

"Everyone in the back," Gahiji said. He went to the door of the jet, climbing up a short staircase to touch a small square near the top of it. The door hissed pneumatically and opened.

"By the way," December said, turning to face the nervous Ninja. "Don't any of you try that. It only scans for the fingerprint of one of the Five. If you try it, it will incinerate you."

The Ninja were horrified.

Gahiji gestured for them to go past. "Make yourselves at home," he said sarcastically.

Kai felt something sharp burn him the moment he touched the vehicle. "Ow!" he said. He drew his hand away. Surprised, he tried touching it again. The "burning" sensation remained. He didn't say anything about it, but it seemed that everyone else except Gahiji and December felt it. But he wouldn't be surprised if they did and were just really good at hiding it.

It was cramped in the back with all five of them. There was only one row of three seats - they all had to give up space in order to fit.

"Quit shoving!" Kai said, elbowing Lloyd.

"Ow!" Lloyd exclaimed. He elbowed Kai back. The Ninja of Fire hit the wall, and a sharp pain flooded through him. It was that burning sensation again.

"Zane, you're squishing me," Jay said. Zane scooted over apologetically, effectively squishing Cole against the windowless wall of the jet. Cole let out a strangled yelp; he must have had the burning feeling, too.

"I feel like a marshmallow," Lloyd said miserably.

"A marshmallow?" Kai inquired, gritting his teeth. _What the heck could be causing this strange burn?_ he thought.

"Yeah. You know, when you squish them between your fingers."

December climbed into the copilot's seat while Gahiji sat in the pilot's. Her tone of voice was slightly amused. "You're the one who volunteered to come," she said. "You might as well live with the squishing. You're not going to get this _sweet_ of a ride anywhere else."

Gahiji let out an exhale. It would have been called a sigh if there was not a low growl in his throat.

December punched his shoulder. "Oh, come on, that was funny."

Gahiji just flicked a couple switches, grumbling. Kai was sure that December was the only one who could punch Gahiji without a slam-dunk to the ground.

"You all in comfortable?" December asked.

"No," came the resounding reply.

"Good. Let's go, brother."

Gahiji put his hands on the yoke stick. "Let's get out of here," he said.

The jet started moving, rolling slowly towards the large opening. Once it had passed from the storage room to the launch pad, the large opening closed behind them.

"Uh, just one question," Kai said. December looked at him. "How are we getting out of here? Don't jets need. . . uh, you know, to fly?

December nodded. "This is a multi-terrain jet. We're underwater right now."

All the Ninja temporarily forgot their discomfort.

"We're underwater?" Jay said.

"That's what I said, right?" December said. She was nearly as annoyed as her brother when it came to repeating herself. "The entirety of Down is built in the east cliffs of NinjaGo, beneath the ocean level."

"Be still, my heart," Jay whispered, looking around like the jet was full of magical creatures. "We're really in a secret base underwater, about to fly off and save the world in the coolest multi-terrain jet in existence. Could this get any more awesome?"

"Except for we're cramped," Zane pointed out.

"The only way it could ever be more awesome is if we had marshmallows to eat while we're on the way," Lloyd agreed. His voice was hoarse.

Kai looked at him funny. "Dude, that's the second time that you've mentioned marshmallows in less than two minutes."

"I said them the one time and got hungry!" Lloyd said defensively.

"You just ate breakfast."

"So? I'm always hungry for marshmallows."

"No wonder I can never find them," Zane said.

Lloyd shrugged apologetically. That was a mistake - the movement made Kai accidentally elbow him, and Lloyd bumped into Jay, who squished Zane, who made Cole's position (up against the wall) even more uncomfortable. It probably burned, too. There was a loud moan of pain from all the Ninja.

"Kai, could you scoot down?" Cole said vehemently. "You have about three times as much room as I do."

Kai looked at the wall, which was less than an inch away from him. Before he could say "no, I'm already cramped", Cole shoved Zane with his shoulder, who shoved Jay, who shoved Lloyd, who shoved Kai, who yelped when the flame-like pain spread from his arm to the rest of him. Everyone moaned again.

"Would you five be quiet?" Gahiji said. "I'm already against letting you come. You should probably all shut up before I change my mind about letting you idiots on this adventure."

All the Ninja went quiet - but the struggle for room continued.

"Move!" Jay hissed.

"You move!" Lloyd hissed back.

"Be quiet, you guys!" Kai said, his voice hushed. "Just don't think about it."

"Says the hothead who has a full inch of room on his side!" Jay whispered. Kai felt his blood boil.

"You shut up!" he said. "I'm just as squished as Cole is!"

Jay glanced at Cole, who was looking annoyed as the Ninja of Fire in his identical position.

"I think we're as comfortable as we're going to get," Zane said quietly. "Let's stop moving, or else we'll all get messed up again."

Everyone finally settled down, and yet, as Lloyd put it, all still felt like marshmallows being squished between two fingers.

"We're going for real now, all you back there," December said. "The water pressure in here is regulated, so you should be okay." She snickered. "Except for the pressure you guys put on yourself."

"No kidding," Kai agreed.

The wall in front of them began to slide from its position. As it slid, the room began to fill with water. The Ninja felt their hearts beat faster as the seawater slowly filled the chamber outside the ship. Gahiji flicked another switch, and light flooded from the front of the jet, reflecting dimly off the waves. Ten seconds later, the door was open completely, and the room was full of water.

"How are we supposed to get out now?" Cole asked. "That's too much water for the engine to propel us through it... right?"

December smiled dryly. "Brookstone, your mother invented this thing," she said. "I don't know how it works exactly, but I do know that London is right behind Amilia in genius - Amilia bases her designs off of London's. She put this thing together about ten years ago from scrap parts, and somehow it does it. You're going to have to ask her yourself."

Kai saw Cole's face glow a little bit. He couldn't have had any clue of knowing what his mother was like, Kai realized with a hint of commiseration. He couldn't have known how smart she was before now. Kai's heart warmed a little bit for the pride that Cole was feeling.

"Here we go," December said.

"Wait!" Jay said. "I just have one more question!"

"What, Walker?"

"Is Gahiji licensed? I mean, don't you have to get one to pilot a jet?"

December chuckled, and Gahiji gave a rueful grin.

"What NinjaGo doesn't know won't hurt it," Gahiji said.

Suddenly, the jet shot forward. None of the Ninja were prepared for the whiplash they received as it suddenly burst clear of the launch room and into the infinite abyss of ocean.

The trip through the near pitch-black water was especially terrifying. The Ninja had recovered from the initial start, which was almost as much as they could take.

"Okay," Jay said finally. "This. . . this isn't too bad."

"Yeah, we're just flying straight ahead into dark water," Kai agreed. "We should be okay."

December laughed. "Not for much longer," she said.

Jay paled. "What do you mean, not -"

They all screamed when from seemingly out of no where, a huge underwater pillar of rock threatened to crash right into them. But Gahiji simply swiveled the yoke stick and dodged it, knowing the waters well.

"That's what I meant," December said.

"That was terrifying," Cole said.

"You thought that was terrifying?" Gahiji said. He let out a short laugh.

Another rock loomed through the darkness - Gahiji had less than a second to pilot the jet away from its certain death.

Then another. And another.

"Oh, no," Kai murmured.

Kai thought that if there was anything the phrase "like a boss" would apply to was Gahiji, then and there. His face was casual as he led the _Kahgei_, making it glide seemingly effortlessly between two columns of rock. At one point he turned the entire craft upside down to slide through the narrowest crevice that any of the Ninja had ever seen a jet like the _Kahgei_ possibly fit through. But Gahiji treated it like Kai would a video game. Nonchalantly and practiced. Having done it too many times for it to be a challenge anymore.

And December was his toughest critic. "Nicked the top of it that last one," she said loudly, over the roar of the engine and Lloyd's incessant screaming.

Gahiji exhaled. "We're just a little too full, I think," he said. "Garmadon, would you _please_ just shut up?!"

Kai elbowed Lloyd hard in the solar plexus. Lloyd's scream tapered off, but he still looked terrified.

Having accomplished this, though, everyone except the people in the pilot and copilot seats screamed loudly at the appearance of a large shark. Gahiji grunted, flicking a small switch and pulling the yoke down sharply. They barely missed the shark in the pitch-blackness.

"Not good," Gahiji said. He flicked the same switch back to its original position and reached over to the copilot's dashboard and pressed the nearest button - a yellow one that turned red when he pushed it. He pushed the yoke in towards himself. "Dumb shark," he muttered.

Suddenly a huge array of stone obstacles were lit up by the light from the jet's front. The Ninja all screamed.

"Would you all shut up?!" December shouted.

Gahiji gritted his teeth and worked the yoke like nothing Kai had ever seen. December reached over and snapped three more levers for him, her brother blinking in gratitude briefly.

Kai was glued to the terrifying scene in front of them. The jet flew through the stone pillars, twisting wildly. Kai felt his stomach lurch every time that Gahiji jerked the yoke. He hoped he didn't throw up.

"Nearly done," Gahiji said finally. Kai looked around at his teammates. Each wore expressions mixed with traumatization and relief at it being almost over. Cole looked sick.

Then Gahiji pulled the yoke so hard that Kai gasped audibly. They were going straight up - or straight down, Kai couldn't tell which because everything was black.

"We're out!" December said.

Kai saw the water getting bluer and bluer as they got farther from the stone obstacles. The ocean around them teemed with life, but everything moved before the jet could hit it. Even though the pressure was regulated in the jet, Kai felt his breathing grow easier as they neared the surface, leaving Down behind.

Until they broke through the surface of the water. His stomach was jerked beyond anything he had ever experienced, and the light of day was nearly blinding.

They were flying straight up at a speed of about a hundred eighty miles per hour. Kai had to close his eyes, or else he felt dizzy. G-force was tearing at his face.

Gahiji leveled the jet out. When Kai could open his eyes again - about a minute or two since they left the water.

"Are you _trying_ to kill us?" Jay demanded hoarsely. "That was the most terrifying experience of my life!"

"Not exactly the 'flight to save the world' you were thinking of, eh?" December said, smiling from the thrill of it. She gave Gahiji a light slap on the shoulder. "You're lucky my brother is such a good pilot. If it was anyone else driving, including myself, you would all be flat as pancakes. Gahiji's the only one who can take that route."

Kai guessed that Gahiji had taken that route particularly to scare them from ever wanting to tag along the backup mission again.

Lloyd next to him was still tense and gasping for breath.

"What's your problem, Lloyd?" Kai said, concerned. "It's not all that different from riding the Ultra Dragon. Why are you so tense?"

Lloyd shook his head. "The shark," he said. His voice was shaking slightly. "Th-the shark."

Kai groaned. "Great," he said. "First it was spiders, and now it's sharks. Is this little twerp ever going to get over his fear of nature?" he asked Jay. Jay shook his head.

"Probably not."

Everyone was silent for a moment.

Zane was looking out of the windshield. "Amazing, he said. "It's a shame there's no windows back here. The view must be spectacular."

"We have visuals in the wings," December suggested. She pushed a button on her side of the dashboard and a screen above the windshield lit up. The Ninja all stared at it.

It seemed that they could see all of NinjaGo. The blue waters of the ocean were far beneath them, and the land stretched out like a blanket, long, rolling, and incredible.

"Wow," Cole whispered. "We're really above that?"

Everyone glanced briefly at the ground.

"Hey, I can see the Birchwood forest; Zane's home!" Jay said, and pointed. It was a white patch, made gray by the millions of trees overlapping.

Kai pointed. "Look, there's Ignacia, my hometown," he said.

"And there's the Badlands!" Cole said. "The Junkyard is somewhere in there."

"The _Destiny's Bounty _should be there, too," Zane said.

Kai shook Lloyd lightly. Lloyd snapped out of his daze, but still looked a little traumatized. "Look," Kai said. "That's where your parents' new house is, there on the west coast." He pointed to the sand-ridged edge of the continent. "See it?"

Lloyd nodded, smiling weakly at Kai's attempt to comfort him.

"See there?" December said. She pointed to a furrow in the earth, just north of NinjaGo City, which was a huge clutter of blue buildings. It was long and surrounded by trees. "That's where we're headed. Yuj's Cliff."

"How are you going to hide the jet when you get there?" Zane asked.

December smiled ruefully. "Oh, no one will notice it - trust me. The jet has a cloaking device. Not to mention it's made out of Vengestone, mixed with various other strong rocks. It's not showing up on any metal-detector any time soon. Which is normally what people expect a jet to be made of," she added.

Jay laughed. "Could this jet get any better?" he exclaimed.

Kai felt clarity burst in his mind like a firework. "Vengestone!" he repeated. "This is made out of Vengestone!"

December nodded. "Yes, Vengestone."

"Vengestone renders elemental powers useless," Zane said helpfully.

"That must be why I keep feeling those burns!" Kai said. "Vengestone has that sort of effect on Elemental Masters I guess - remember when we were stuck in that prison, when we were trying to escape the Serpentine Base?"

Everyone nodded.

"Remember how much it hurt to be chained?" Kai said. "That was probably because the chains were Vengestone. Sensei even said that it made our powers useless." Kai rubbed his shoulder, which had been pressed up against the wall.

"No wonder," Cole said. "I kept feeling that, too."

"Me too," Jay said. Lloyd and Zane nodded. "All those little burns _hurt_!"

"Little burns?" Lloyd said. "It feels like I'm getting stabbed in the stomach repeatedly just being around the stuff."

The Ninja stared at him.

"That must be because you're the Green Ninja," Zane said. "With the strongest element of all of us. Are you okay?"

"I feel sick. . . like I got shredded," Lloyd said miserably. So that was why he had been so stiff, even after they had broke the surface, Kai realized.

December looked surprised. "I'm so sorry," she said. "I didn't realize -"

"It's fine," Lloyd said. He was blushing. "Really. I can take it."

December was frowning as she turned around.

"I guess we found the Green Ninja's weakness," December murmured. "We won't be taking you in this jet again. Here, Lloyd." She reached up to a compartment in the ceiling and pulled a bottle of pills out. "Won't help much, but should take the edge off the pain."

"Th-thanks," Lloyd said. December took two out of the bottle, screwed the lid shut, and offered them to Lloyd, who took them with shaking hands.

_Poor kid,_ Kai thought, watching him swallow the pills. _That's something to watch out for in the future. Vengestone._

There was a silence.

"You know what, Lloyd," Jay said, putting a hand on the younger Ninja's shoulder. "I'm really in the mood for a marshmallow, too."

"Marshmallows sound good," Kai agreed.

Lloyd smiled painfully. "I'd rather have a marshmallow than this any day," he said. He giggled quietly.

"There have been too many peeps and chirps for my liking this trip," Gahiji said. Everyone jumped at his voice. Kai swallowed.

Oh, yeah. No peeps. Or chirps.

"You little birds better be quiet," he continued. "I've already had enough of your off-tune music."

_He must like birds,_ Kai thought. But it was not a time to be speculating - Gahiji was an annoyed eagle that would probably like nothing more than to eat them.

Everyone was silent.

"Hold on to your breakfast," December said suddenly. "We're going in."

Kai braced himself, feeling Lloyd tense beside him.

"Everyone ready?"

Everyone nodded.

"Let's go save London," Gahiji said.

"As squished marshmallows," December agreed.

Gahiji pulled the yoke down and to the right, and next thing Kai knew, jet was flying straight down towards the ocean.


	7. Summer Storm

Summer Storm

* * *

The forests near Yuj's Cliff

9:01 AM

* * *

Jay moaned. "Forget squished marshmallow. By the end of this trip I'll be a chocolate bar left out in a hot car for too long."

December turned around. "You five are going to stay here while we go get London," she said.

"Lloyd will die a slow, painful death if he stays in here," Kai said.

"And I'm coming with you," Cole said. "I didn't decide to tag along to sit in this jet the whole time - I came to help my mom."

Gahiji sighed and let his head rest on the back of his seat.

December gave him a disapproving look. "You can't argue on either of those points, brother," she said.

"I surely can argue about the last one," Gahiji said. "Brookstone, you don't know Shauto and you have no experience whatsoever concerning the kind of trouble we're getting into."

"But I'm not sitting in here doing nothing!" Cole protested.

"Here." December pulled a wad of paper - a Sudoku notebook - out of her pocket and handed it to him, along with a pencil. "Now you have something to do. Lloyd, come with us, you have to get out of here."

"If one of us goes, we all go," Kai said fiercely.

December hesitated. The look in her eyes was mixed.

She looked to her brother, who only closed his eyes and kicked his feet up onto the dashboard of the parked jet.

"_Menya ne volnuyet chto vy delayete s etimi durakami_," he said, fluently, in a language that the Ninja did not understand. It must have been Amidian. "_Tekh por, poka vy nakhodites' v zaryada ot nego_."

December sighed. "Alright, brother."

"What did he say?" Cole demanded.

"He said he does not care what I do with these idiots, as long as I am in charge of it," December translated.

"_YA skazal, chto eto v Amidian tak chto eto mozhet byt' taynoy,_" Gahiji said, annoyed._ I said it in Amidian for a reason._

"Whoops," December answered sarcastically. She thought for a moment.

"You are all coming with us," she said finally. "But you are going to stay true to your word and not do a thing unless Gahiji, London or I give you permission."

Everyone sighed with relief.

"Come on out, little birds," Gahiji said. He pressed a button on his left, and the door on Cole's side opened. Cole yelped as he lost his balance - he had been forced to lean on the door - but recovered before he fell out. Gahiji pushed another button, and the pilot and copilot's doors opened. "Let's see how well you'll fly."

* * *

The _Destiny's Bounty_

8:53

* * *

"Who could have done this?" Nya said, when she heard what had happened to the engine.

Wu shook his head. "None of us, I'm sure. It had to have been done very recently."

"It had to have been done last night," Nya corrected. "The Destiny's Bounty was working just fine yesterday."

Garmadon nodded. "We don't have surveillance cameras, do we?"

"We do... but whoever did this, they not only wrecked the engine, but visuals, information - everything is down. Nothing works." Nya rubbed her forehead.

"There has to be some way to track them down!" Misako said.

Nya shook her head and looked out the window. "I just can't think of what it could be."

Wu turned the shuriken over and over in his hands. It was silver and polished. The edges had purple ribbons made of silk that hung down for two inches.

"They must be practiced," Garmadon said. "They didn't leave a lot of clues. I have a feeling that this shuriken is the only thing that they allowed to be seen. No track to follow."

The towering figure of NinjaGo City was huge and pale blue on the close horizon, shimmering in the heat that radiated off of the orange desert sand. The sky was as blue as a lake, but in the far distance, Nya could see a summer storm brewing - huge purple clouds thundered gently, humming and bustling with the rain to come. It was probably less than an hour away.

Her gaze shifted to the sand, and her eyes suddenly widened. "But there is a track!" she exclaimed.

Garmadon looked confused.

"The sand!" Nya said, and pointed out the window.

The sand bore tire tracks, which scuffed the microscopic orange pebbles and left a trail from the Destiny's Bounty onward.

The four of them rushed out to the deck and leaned over the side of the ship to see.

"They're heading straight for NinjaGo City," Nya said. "That's got to be where the culprit is! We have to catch them!"

Wu put a hand on the railing. "But what about the Ninja?" he said. "We can't leave, in case they come back."

"I have a nasty feeling that if this has happened to us," Nya said, "then the Ninja are in an even worse situation. Besides, the idiots wouldn't answer their phones, and Lloyd even left his at home, the irresponsible twerp. We may find them in the City."

Garmadon stared at the tracks, surveying the distance it covered. "It's too far to travel on foot," he said. "How are we going to get there?"

Nya suddenly looked smug. She pulled up her sleeve and pressed the crimson jewel on her bracelet. "A Samurai always has a backup plan," she said.

Garmadon laughed softly. "I'll follow that," he agreed.

"Here," Wu said. He handed Nya the shuriken, carefully. "Thought you might want to inspect it."

"I do, thanks," Nya said. "Let's just hope that we can make it in time. Now follow me - let's go get my Samurai Suit and catch that criminal."

They followed her into the Bridge. Nya kicked the wall, and to the adults' surprise, a panel on the wall opened and revealed a hidden compartment.

"What -" Garmadon began.

"Don't ask," Nya said.

As soon as the compartment opened, they stepped back - a box seemed to jump out of the hole, unfolding itself, growing into a large suit, as it had done many a time before. Garmadon and Misako looked shocked.

Nya chuckled when it stopped unfolding. She climbed up to the top and dropped into the cockpit. "What, never seen it activate?" she asked the couple. Sensei Wu smiled dryly when Misako nodded.

"There are some things about this world that I will never fathom," Garmadon murmured.

"Climb on," Nya said, and manipulated the levers so that the suit leaned down to allow the adults on. Misako and Garmadon both started up it, but Wu stayed back.

"I'm not so sure I can climb that," Wu said.

Garmadon exhaled, halfway up the suit himself. "Come on, brother," he said, reaching down to lend Wu a hand up. Wu hesitated, then grabbed it, and Garmadon heaved him up with a grunt. "You lost your mettle with your age?"

"I never had much mettle," Wu said, trying not to look down at how precarious his position was, keeping his brother's hand clasped tightly. "And what I did have definitely eroded with age. You're lucky, brother; you've about five times as much mettle as me."

Garmadon concealed a smile and held Wu steady while he made the climb. Misako had already settled on the suit's shoulder.

"Everyone ready?" Nya asked. Garmadon wondered where she had gotten her helmet from - suddenly she was wearing it. He supposed she might have some sort of automated system in the suit in which the helmet was already there for her to put on, but he guessed that he would never know. But he nodded with Wu and Misako.

"Hold on to something," Nya said, maneuvering out of the Bridge and onto the deck.

"_Woof_," Garmadon said. "By the time this trip is over, I'll be sick. Can't you make the walking any smoother?"

"Sorry," Nya said. "We won't be walking for much longer though."

"Why?" Garmadon said.

Wu began to answer, when Nya pulled a lever and the engine revved.

"You all hanging on tight?" she double-checked.

"Y-yes," Garmadon said, suddenly clutching the suit for dear life. His family did the same.

"Alright, here we go!"

The Samurai X-Suit took off, soaring higher and higher. Nya laughed, her voice sounding masculine as it passed through the helmet's speakers, when she checked the rearview mirror. Garmadon and Misako were both holding on to the suit tightly. Wu's only problem seemed to be the getting on and off of the suit, because he was having the time of his life, grinning boldly. Nya was sure that once his brother and sister-in-law got over the shock of it, they would enjoy it too.

She slid these thoughts out of her mind. Down to business.

* * *

"I think we're safe," December said softly to her brother. "Better double-check, though."

Gahiji looked around the forest, then drew a pen from his pocket.

"Watch closely," December said. Her voice was hushed. "He is about to perform See, a revealing maneuver. It reveals any spirits that exist within a mile radius to the user. He'll be able to find London this way."

Gahiji drew something on a tree. The Ninja watched. His hands curved, creating a symbol that consisted of lines and dots, in a pattern that made them look like arms reaching out. He then placed his tattooed hand on it and closed his eyes. Cole saw his mouth moving, but couldn't hear the words he said.

Cole felt a sudden rush, and a breeze ruffled his hair, passing through the entire group. It left him feeling tickled - kind of like when he was teleported, but less extreme.

Gahiji opened his eyes. Instead of silver, they were now white - the Ninja of Earth was sharply reminded of the eyes of the Whisperer.

"This way," he said, and pointed across the forest. "Follow me."

Cole shifted Lloyd's position in his arms. The poor kid was still suffering from the effects of the Vengestone, and he couldn't support himself on his legs. He was sickly pale from having vomited the moment he stepped out of the jet and he was drenched in sweat.

As the group followed Gahiji through the dark forest, different thoughts began to mix in Cole's mind. Firstly, he felt like an idiot for making such a rash decision - now he and his entire team were in danger because of his selfish desire to help his mother. Gahiji was right. All he had done was make things harder. And he should have recognized that.

Secondly, Lloyd was heavy.

Thirdly, he wondered what lie ahead. Another Whisperer? The first one, not even his team of Elemental Ninja could defeat. His insides twisted to think of it and its pale eyes - they may have been empty, but they still shone with hate and malice.

Surely London could handle a Whisperer alone, though; she obviously knew Shauto, having helped to develop it. Multiple Whisperers, then? Maybe it was something worse? Cole grew sicker and sicker when it became clearer how much of an idiot he had been to tag along. Acting like Kai was Kai's job, dangit. He should have realized that when Amilia said "She's found something". Who knew what she had found?

The trees grew thinner as Cole's resolve grew weaker. His feet reflected his uncertainty when he tripped over a branch and nearly dropped Lloyd. "_Gahh_!" he said, trying to regain his balance. The Green Ninja moaned.

December heard his stumble. She turned around, her expression concerned. "Here," she said, and held out her arms. "Let me take him."

"I'm fine," Cole said. "Thanks, though."

"Are you sure?" December said. She ducked suddenly.

Cole nodded, unsure why she had moved so abruptly, when he smacked straight into a low tree branch. He yelped as Lloyd was nearly pitched out of his grasp. Lloyd made a sickening sound.

December covered her mouth. At first Cole thought it was out of shock, but then she took it away to pull Lloyd from his arms and the Ninja of Earth saw that she was laughing. "I'll take him," she said, smiling.

Cole rolled his eyes and looked away, embarrassed.

"How much farther until we reach London?" Zane said.

"We're close," Gahiji answered.

Cole could feel the earth beneath him growing uneven, and had to look at his feet to ensure that he wouldn't trip again.

Gahiji blinked. His empty eyes returned to silver. "There," he said. He pointed through the trees.

London was crouching on the ground, doing something with a small object. Gahiji led them to her, and she looked up, blowing her long red hair out of her eyes.

"There you are," she said, her voice hushed and urgent. She motioned for him to crouch down beside her. "It's been twenty minutes. What kept you?"

Gahiji turned around, both to check that the others were still behind him and in answer to London's question. London's eyes widened to see Cole and the rest of his Ninja.

"You brought the Elemental Ninja?" she demanded. "Doesn't seem like the sort of thing you would do."

Gahiji nodded, furtively giving London an annoyed look that explained everything. Kai and Jay were shoving each other quietly.

The woman nodded. Her eyes connected with Cole's for a brief moment, then she looked away.

"What's going on?" December said, coming up behind her brother. "Why did you call us out here?" She gestured for everyone to crouch low to the earth, which they did, suddenly sober.

They sat near the edge of a huge cliff - Yuj's Cliff, Cole had heard Amilia refer to it. They were at the end of the trees, so Cole could see across the large divide. They were on the opposite side of NinjaGo City than the Destiny's Bounty was, he realized. Farther away from home than ever. Had Kai managed to contact Nya yet? He couldn't remember.

London grimaced, and held up a small handheld device, showing its screen to Gahiji and December, then pointing across the furrow in the earth. "See there?" she said. "It's a factory."

"For what?" December said.

"Pyrotechnics," London replied. "Some of the brightest and most colorful, I hear." London gazed at the factory. Her lips were pulled tight. "I need backup. See there?"

She pointed to two figures in dark green, standing at the edge of the factory, conversing with another figure in blue. "Those two, there."

"They're armed," Gahiji whispered.

"Yeah. Probably guarding the building."

"But why would they be guarding a factory for fireworks?" Cole asked. London seemed surprised to hear his voice.

"That factory is obviously not making what they say they're making," December said. "That, or they're assassins waiting to ambush someone."

"Whatever the case," London continued, "they're hiding something. I need to get past them - whatever is in there has got to be important. Otherwise they would not have built a factory this far from the City."

"Wait, you're going to try to get inside the building?" Jay said. "Ow, Kai, quit pushing. But what does this have to do with Whisperers? Or Shauto? What exactly did you find?"

December turned around. "Be quiet," she said. "You're going to give away our position. And this has a lot to do with Whisperers."

Cole nudged Jay before the Ninja of Lightning could speak. Jay glared at him, but fell silent.

"Someone has to stay with these five," Gahiji said. He, London, and December all glanced behind them at the Ninja. "Or who knows what mischief they'll get into."

London pinched her bottom lip between her thumb and forefinger. Cole watched her. She had always done that while she thought hard, he remembered.

"We'll be good," Zane said. "You won't need to worry. I can keep them under control."

"Isn't there something we can do?" Kai said.

December shook her head. She turned to Cole and handed Lloyd to him gently. "I'll stay," she said reluctantly. "Gahiji's more useful to you here than I am."

"Thank you, December. Sorry to call you out here for that."

Lloyd shook his head. Cole started to stand up straight, but Gahiji put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Stay concealed, and stay alert," he ordered. Cole nodded.

"Yessir," he said. Gahiji pulled out his coin.

London put her hand on his knee. "Oh, don't try that," she said.

"We need to know," Gahiji said. He raised the coin to his lips and said, "Whizzer's Factory, Yuj, main floor."

The coin sparked, and Gahiji spasmed suddenly, like he had been shocked. He regained his balance, then glanced at London, whose eyes were wide.

"I think we've found it," he said softly.

Cole was confused. Somehow Gahiji's teleportation coin had rebuked him...? "What just happened?" he asked.

"Stay here," London said to him. "Keep everyone out of trouble, son. We'll explain things a little better when we get back."

She swept his hair from his forehead and kissed it. Then she turned to Gahiji. "Let's go."

Gahiji nodded. They both stood up and left the group, running in the opposite direction as the cliff, back towards the forest.

Cole watched them go, then he looked across the cliff again, towards the factory. The two men in dark green were now very clearly seen to be armed - two sniper rifles strapped across their backs. _What have we found...?_

"Great," said Jay. He pouted and sat down on the grass. "Now we're stuck here doing nothing. Just how are we supposed to save the world again - sit around while 'the Five' do all the cool stuff?"

Kai lay down on his back in the grass near him, sighing loudly.

"Be careful," Zane said as he cautiously seated himself in the open space. "There are armed enemies nearby."

"_Ah_, they can't see us," Kai said.

"Quite the contrary. If you can see them, chances are ninety-seven to three that they can see you as well."

"Whatever. If we're lying down, they can't see us."

"Gahiji could," Cole pointed out. "If he used See."

"Yeah, but Gahiji's not looking for us."

"Neither are the armed guards."

"Makes my point nicely." Kai spread his arms wide on the ground.

Cole shook his head and put Lloyd on the grass. He noticed that the color had returned to the Green Ninja's face. "You feel better, greenbean?" he said.

Lloyd moaned, and moved his arms to shield his face from the sun. "Don't call me greenbean," he muttered weakly. "I hate vegetables."

Cole chuckled and sat down beside him.

"Let's go exploring," Jay said.

"No," December said quickly. She sat in the grass a few feet away from Cole. "We need to stay here."

Jay flopped down on the grass beside Kai and became quiet.

"I can tell that this is going to be boring," Kai said.

Everyone, including Zane, sighed.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Kai said.

"There's an entire forest over there," December said, pointing. "Yours for the taking."

Kai stood up grudgingly and walked away from them towards the trees.

Cole, for one, found the quiet very suspenseful. What could his mother have found? Why was this so important? How did it have anything to do with Whisperers? And _why_ had he been such an idiot?

The wind was beginning to pick up. It blew in his face, pushing his black hair from his eyes. The air, Cole noticed, was heavily scented with mint. In the forest it had been even more so. It must have grown thickly there. Cole inhaled a long breath of it, feeling it relax him.

The smell of peppermint was familiar to Cole. It was a scent he had grown up with - the scent of his mother. Is that why she always smelled like candy canes? Because she was using it with Shauto? Cole distinctly remembered Gahiji giving him a peppermint, and it helped greatly with recovering from the Whisperer attack. It would make sense that London smelled that way because of it.

He didn't remember the scar that ran down her face, though. She must have got it sometime during the time she had been keeping the Whisperers under control.

Cole's insides twisted at sudden thought. When would he be able to tell his father? Lou would surely want to know if London was alive.

... Would he get to tell his father at _all_? How long would it take for this all to be over?

Lloyd moaned. Cole looked at him, pulled out of his thoughts.

The Green Ninja sat up and coughed. "Ouch," he said. "I hurt."

"Oh, hey, squirt," Jay said, opening his eyes. "You awake?"

"Yeah," Lloyd said.

A sudden gust of wind blew into the Ninja's faces.

"This wind is definitely picking up," Zane said. He looked up at the sky, which was darkening. "Aha. Just as I suspected. There is a storm heading straight for us."

Cole looked up. The clouds were covering the sky, and in the direction of the forest, there was a large black cloud that crackled with thunder.

"Aw, seriously? A summer storm?" Jay whined. "Perfect. Just perfect. Now we'll be waiting, in the rain, not saving the world, and marshmallow-less."

Lloyd hiccupped.

"Hey, December," Jay said. "You don't happen to have some sort of, I dunno, epic umbrella for six stuffed in your pocket? Seems like something you'd have, right? I mean, you have a coin that teleports you anywhere you want to, couldn't you have like a weird sort of umbrella thing that unfolds when you push a button?"

December shook her head while Cole snorted. "Sorry, Walker, I have nothing of the sort. While we are cool enough to have a coin that teleports us where we need to go, we are not cool enough to have an epic six-person umbrella."

Cole felt something wet on his forehead. Then another something wet on his shoulder. Within a minute there was a steady patter of rain beating down on them.

"Great," Jay murmured. He was huddling with Cole, Zane, and Lloyd for warmth. "I have nothing to say to you, mother nature! Nothing but -"

Cole's eyebrows raised at what followed. Zane covered Lloyd's ears out of instinct - the Ninja of Ice was pretty certain that Garmadon would not be so enthusiastic at Lloyd's hearing it.

"H-hey!" Lloyd protested. "I want to hear! Quit!"

He managed to pry Zane's hands away to hear the end of Jay's sentence, "stupid rain", but he had missed most of the fun. Lloyd sulked.

When Jay was done, he was surprised to hear someone laughing. He glanced over his shoulder at December, who was covering her mouth, shoulders shaking with laughter. "What?" Jay demanded. "That's how I feel!"

"N-nothing," December managed. She was smiling brightly, almost uncontrollably. "It's just hysterical to hear those words from someone other than my brother."

Jay allowed himself a short laugh, then devoted the rest of his energy to seething.

"December?" Lloyd said awkwardly. December had recovered from her fit of laughter, and looked at him. "Aren't you cold?"

December shook her head. "No, not really."

"But it's freezing," Cole said.

"I'm Amidian," December said. "I don't get cold very often. Our immune systems cause our body temperatures to burn slightly higher than a common Ninjagian's. All Amidians are that way."

Cole, Zane and Lloyd were desperately confused. "What do you mean, Amidian?" Zane said, interested. "Is it a profession?"

December hesitated, then shook her head. "It's a race," she said. "You guys are Ninjagian. Gahiji and I are Amidian. We were raised on Sneg, a small nearby island with frigid temperatures."

"So you're not Ninjagian?" Cole said. He could see how it might be possible - her skin, hair and body structure were definitely different than anything Cole had ever seen before.

"Of course I am," December said tartly. "I'm just a different race."

"Are there other kinds of Ninjagians besides Amidians and us?" Zane asked.

"I don't think so."

"What would you call our race, then?"

"You're just a Ninjagian. That is the common term for someone who is brought up in NinjaGo, and people in general. Amidians get a special title." December looked away as she said this, and Cole knew that she didn't think it was special.

"So... you're not cold?" Lloyd clarified.

"Not cold enough to want to share body heat with you four," December said shortly.

There was a silence. The rain fell harder than ever, and the Ninja were shivering, except for Zane. The Nindroid opened a panel on his arm and flicked a switch - suddenly he was extremely warm, radiating heat from his body. With an audible sigh, everyone huddled closer together to share it. They all felt slightly guilty about December though.

"Where's Kai?" Cole said suddenly.

"... He went to the bathroom, right?" Lloyd said.

"He's been gone a long time," the Ninja of Earth said. He looked in the direction of the forest, which was now just a hazy outline from the pouring rain. "Do you think he got lost?"

"I dunno," Lloyd said, shrugging.

Cole glanced over his shoulder at December. "December, can you do See? Like what Gahiji did?"

December paused. "I might be able to," she said slowly. "Why?"

"Kai hasn't come back."

December opened her mouth to speak, when thunder boomed overhead and lightning flashed. Lloyd yelped.

Jay laughed at him, and Lloyd gave him a withering look.

"That wasn't you, was it?" he said.

"Nah," Jay said. "It was funny though."

"I could try," December said.

"Ahh, give him a few minutes," Jay said. "Those eggs weren't exactly easy on the stomach. Maybe he got salmonella or something."

Cole punched him.

"If he doesn't come back after five minutes," December said, "We'll go find him."

Cole nodded, but he still felt nervous. Kai was not prone to losing himself, and a thunderstorm was hardly going to change that.

They sat in the rain for a bit. Cole was immensely grateful that Zane was such an effective heater, as were Jay and Lloyd, evidently; they all huddled close to the Nindroid, who didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

"Oh, whoops," Cole said, remembering something in his pocket. He pulled something unrecognizable from his jeans - it was sopping wet, mushy, and gray with wet ink. "Uh, December, your Sudoku notebook is really totalled... Sorry."

December shrugged. "It's fine. I'm actually fairly indebted to you because of its demise. You just gave me an excuse to tell Amilia why I never used it."

Jay snorted. Cole set the squishy papers on the ground in front of him.

"Kai hasn't returned," Zane said, some time later. Thunder crackled overhead again. Zane looked up at the sky before adding, "I think Kai might have gotten lost, or worse."

"We should go look for him," Lloyd said. The four of them nodded.

They were just standing up, all huddling close to Zane, when another loud crack rang in their ears. Not thunder.

"What was -?" Lloyd said, but Cole pushed down on his head, and everyone ducked down to the ground.

"What was that?" Lloyd said again, frantically.

"Everyone keep still," Zane said. "Stay down."

Cole's heart was pounding. The gunshot had come from the direction of the factory, and those guards had definitely been armed. The image of his mother, shot to the heart, flashed in his mind. He resisted it, keeping Lloyd pressed closed to the ground.

"What was that?" Lloyd mouthed, his eyes wide and full of terror. He must not ever have heard a gunshot before.

"Someone shot a gun," Cole mouthed back. Lloyd went visibly pale, and he glanced up at the sky, which drenched them steadily for about ten seconds after the shot.

_Did they get London?_ Cole worried._ Did they get Gahiji?_

_... did they get Kai?_

"I think we can stand up now," Zane said. The Ninja and December rose to their feet.

"Were they found out?" Jay said. Everyone was pale and anxious.

Cole shook his head. "We need to find Kai," he said firmly, despite feeling like the wind and rain could push him over. "We'll split up."

"I agree with Cole," December said, coming closer to them. "Lloyd and Cole will go together, and Zane and Jay will accompany me. Is that suitable?"

"Yes ma'am," the Ninja said.

A loud shriek resounded in their ears. Everyone whipped around in the direction of the scream - the forest.

A red figure came out of the trees into the silvery mist of pounding rain, running as fast as could be conceived from the place. His amber eyes were frantic and his crazy hair was dripping with rain water; there was a huge gash, bleeding profusely, in his arm.

"Kai!" Zane exclaimed when he reached them.

Kai stumbled, but grabbed hold of Zane's sleeves before he fell down on the grass. Zane tried to help him stand, but the downed Ninja of Fire seemed to be completely dependant on the Nindroid holding him upright. He was breathing heavily and whimpering - Cole couldn't tell if it was rain or tears streaking down his face.

"Help me!" he begged. "Help!"

"What is it?" Zane said urgently.

Kai whimpered, then shouted, "It's a Whisperer!"


	8. Encrypted

Encrypted

* * *

As if in reply to Kai's plead, there was an ear-splitting, blood-curdling roar. Another gunshot echoed through the air.

"What do we do? What do we do?" Jay said, pulling at his hair. "Guns one way, Whisperer another way, cliff the last. We're sitting ducks!"

December slapped him. "Get a grip! Freaking out is not helping!"

Jay rubbed his cheek, mouth open in outrage.

"We have to get out of here," December said. "Everyone back to the jet."

"No!" Kai said. "No, we can't go back there! That's where the Whisperers are!"

"_Whisperers_? There's more than one?"

Kai pursed his lips, his amber eyes wide and frantic. He clutched his bleeding arm.

"I can hold them," December said. "The rest of you need to run as fast as you can for the jet."

"None of us can pilot it correctly," Zane said quickly. "While I have seen the interface of the vessel and it appears to be similar to those I have managed to successfully pilot, I can't be sure whether any one of us could land such a craft, not to mention it's made out of Vengestone."

Another thunderous roar. December swiftly pressed a button on her wrist communicator.

"I've sent Amilia an SOS signal," she said. "The jetwill be on autopilot on the way back. No one touch anything, and it should be fine. She's programming the doors to react to your touch right now. Now go! I can hold them off until Gahiji and London get back."

"Are you sure?" Cole said.

"Go!" December ordered.

The Ninja hesitated, then they looked to the forest and started running. Zane tried to help Kai to his feet, but the Ninja of Fire seemed to be experiencing an adrenaline rush, running faster than any of them towards the trees. December took a deep breath and assumed a ready stance, her hand in the left pocket of her black cargo pants, feeling for something. This was gonna be tough.

Another scream rattled her existence. The Ninja halted at the edge of the forest.

"What are you doing?!" December shouted. "Run!"

Kai turned around to look at her, mouth open with shock and indecision, then looked back to the forest. He and the others ran back. December's heart missed a beat.

"We're too late," she murmured. "They're here."

"December!" Jay said.

"Get behind me!" December commanded, gesturing widely with her right arm. "We're going to have to fight it."

"But we don't know Shauto!" Zane said.

"That doesn't matter - we have no choice!"

Something had emerged from the trees. It pulled itself from the very branches, gathering in a black, mist-like, blurry shadow. Another seeped through the grass at the foot of the trees, spiraling upwards, in strings of smoky blackness like spiderwebs, or blood dripping into a container of clear water.

"Uh, that's a lot bigger than the Whisperer we fought," Jay said, his voice cracking.

"These two are a lot more powerful," December said, more to herself than to Jay. Her mind raced. Gahiji had performed See... right? He had made sure there was no Whisperers in the area. How were there two fully-formed monsters _right there_?

"We're dead," Kai said. He grabbed his head, whimpering. "We're dead! Kill me now!"

December glanced at him, and cursed inwardly. He would be of no use whatsoever until Amilia could get him in some therapy - the Whisperer's fear-inducing presence had taken him. Even just one session in the Mental Training Room might have prevented that. But it was too late now.

The sound of the pounding rain was drowned out by a long, loud, rattling breath. A dissonant song of fear and powerful paralysis, shuddering, commanding the Ninja's enraptured horror. The Whisperers' serenade shook their cores, filling them with dread so that their throats were tight and they were frozen to the spot.

"It's their song!" December said. "Cover your ears!"

The Ninja all covered their ears, looks of terror and nervousness on their wet faces.

December faced the Whisperers. The Whisperers gazed back, and December felt her lips tighten.

"You ready for this, you monsters?" she said.

The Whisperer's song grew louder and more cacophonous. December pushed a button on her wrist communicator.

"Amilia," she said. "It's December. Shield me."

"On it," came Amilia's voice from the metal bracelet. "Notifying London. _Kyujo_ is preparing to meet you there."

December pulled a slab of black stone from her pocket. The Whisperer's song was ending - evidently they had realized that it was not affecting the mortals before them. "Am I shielded?"

There were some typing sounds. "... No."

"What do you mean, no?"

"It's not working. Let me... no. Not working."

"Why can't you shield me?!" December said. _If she can't shield me, we're all dead._

"I don't know. I just don't know. I can't... _it's just not working_! Was Gahiji able to teleport?"

"No. The factory is encrypted." December bit her lip. The Whisperers were advancing, fed up with singing.

Amilia paused, and the typing sounds stopped. "Oh, shoot. That explains it."

"But a whole area can't be encrypted. It just can't."

"Considering the fact that Gahiji used See and still failed to detect Whisperers this powerful, I think that we're wrong about that."

December blanched.

"This is a major breach," Amilia said. "First NinjaGo City, now this!"

"What do I do?"

"London and Gahiji had a scuffle with the guards. London got shot in the ankle, but she's alive. They'll be with you shortly."

December was drawing something on the slab of stone from her pocket with her white pen. It was a circle, with a triangle in the middle of it and two dots on either side of the triangle. On the top and bottom of the circle she drew two hooks, on the left and right sides, two short lines - the symbol for Rescue. "Meanwhile, I'm sitting here, unshielded, against two high-level Whisperers, protecting a bunch of idiots who have no idea what they're doing, one of whom has already fallen under the song's spell."

"Uh, well, sorry. If it helps, the _Kyujo_ will be there in about... three to four minutes, give or take."

December cut the call. Then she heard a loud, ear-piercing scream - the Whisperers.

"December!" Lloyd shouted.

December looked back just in time to see the white eyes inches from her. She yelped and covered her head with her hands.

Then there was a loud crackle, and no impact. A million-voiced protest from the Whisperer, but nothing else.

December looked up. A layer of thick ice had separated her from the Whisperer.

December looked back at the Ninja of Ice, who smiled.

"Thanks," she said. She looked back at the Whisperer, which screeched in outrage. "Get back; it's going to break the ice!"

The Whisperer screamed again, and it did indeed shatter the ice, a huge crash of thunder and a flash of light breaking it into a million shards. The shards soared, cutting into the Ninja's exposed skin. A piece nicked December's ear.

"Grab Kai!" December said suddenly, pointing. Kai was still collapsed in the grass, covering his head and crying.

Jay jumped forward to do so, but he was blocked by the second Whisperer. Something bright and white flashed in Jay's face. A crash like thunder echoed through the clearing, and Jay stumbled backward, stunned. "What -"

"Jay!" Cole pushed down on the Ninja of Lightning's head, pushing them both to the ground as something big soared over their heads. A block of ice.

"It just -" Jay said, gasping. He pushed Cole aside as another chunk of sharp ice flew at them. "It used my Elemental power against me!"

"Whisperers can command Elements, for the thousandth time!" December said. She dodged an onslaught of ice from the Whisperer in front of her.

"But wouldn't we cancel each other out?" Jay said.

"Who knows," December replied, gritting her teeth. "Don't try it, just get to Kai before he kills himself."

"He wouldn't _literally_ ever -"

"Quite the contrary, given the circumstances."

Jay opened his mouth in shock. "What?" he said.

Kai sobbed harder. He let his kneeling form lie limp in the grass, collapsing weakly. "Don't eat me," he begged an unseen foe. "_Please_!"

"The Whisperer's song," December said. "He encountered the Whisperers before any of us did - he didn't know to cover his ears. He's going crazy. The Whisperers have already off-set his priorities enough to kill his rational thought."

"_What_?" Jay said again.

"Look out!" December yelled. She pushed him, right as a icy blue spear shot through the air over their heads. She got off him to help him up.

"A spear?!" Jay exclaimed. He glanced at one of the Whisperers, flicking his wet hair out of his face so he could see it from on the ground.

The shadowy figure was now clad in armor. Huge, carved, chunks of ice served as shoulderpads, a chestplate, gauntlets, shin guards, a helmet - the Ninja could now see a humanoid figure in the unending folds of the Whisperer's smoky dark existence. It had two crudely formed ice hands, a dangerously sharp sword in each, and a mouth, framed with sharp, translucent blue teeth. Something straight from your worst nightmare.

"Where's the other one?" Zane said.

December looked around. "Right there!" she said, pointing behind the group. "Look out!"

A sphere of flames erupted around the Ninja. Everyone backed up immediately, screaming from the pain of the fire scorching their skin - December gasped as the flames seared her hand, and dropped the slab of black rock with the Rescue symbol on it - It landed in the middle of the flames - everything was blurry with pain as December clutched her burnt hand - the Whisperer's white eyes blazed as it soared above them - it swiped at them with claws of molten rock - "_Move_!" - she was pushed far from the fire - a Whisperer roared in protest.

December glanced down at her hand. The flames had seared it badly. After the first seconds of blind pain, she regained control. There was a person beside her.

"Run!" she said to them, and started sprinting in the opposite direction of the flames licking the grass behind her, the person following closely.

She ran towards the limp figure on the ground that was Kai, and scooped him up in her arms as she ran, ignoring the terrible pain in her fingers. She cursed. If she had been shielded, she would not have burned herself, and she would not have lost that symbol!

A mangled cry sounded behind her. Jay stumbled to the grass, unable to run any farther. December bounced back to aid him.

"Just use Shauto already!" Jay said, pain in his voice. He was holding his ankle, which was badly scorched. "That's the only way you can defeat it, right? Do it!"

"I can't," December said. Her raised voice was frantic. "I can't. I had a rock, it had the symbol on it, I dropped it in the fire. I need to draw another one."

"What do you mean, you dropped it in the fire?" Jay demanded, his voice shrill.

"What would you have done?!" December said, baring her teeth at him. Jay flinched - her white Amidian teeth were sharper than a regular Ninjagian's. December turned to Cole, who stood beside her, his clothes singed and face smeared with soot. "I need time!" she said. "Buy me some!"

Cole nodded without hesitation. "Cover her!" he told the others. "Use your elemental powers as a shield!"

"I can't get up," Jay said. "I just can't." The burn on his ankle was bleeding.

"That's fine," Cole said. "Stay. We'll protect you."

December set Kai down on the grass next to Jay. Her fingers throbbed, and she gave them a furtive glance. They were raw, red, and blistering - no doubt a deep second-degree burn. How was she supposed to draw that design with fingers like these...? She would have to, regardless of whether she was in the condition to.

"No witty quips on this one, team," Cole said, pressing his palm to the earth and drawing out of the ground a steel sword and shield. "These monsters mean business."

"Witty quips?" Lloyd said. He held up his arm, and vapory bands of gold and green colors encircled him, light radiating from his very being. He grinned - the smile turned into a grimace. "Wouldn't dream of it."

The Nindroid beside him opened his hands and let two jets of water into the air, the liquid condensing into two shurikens. Cole glanced at him, and received a nod in confirmation that he was prepared.

"You two ready for this?" Cole said. "Hold out until Gahiji and London get back."

Lloyd and Zane both nodded. "Let's kick some Whisperer butt," Lloyd said, pulling from thin air a shining, golden sword. They looked to the Whisperers.

The shadows were clad in ice and fire - the one cold and majestic in its power, the other untamed and violent in its malevolence. The Whisperer enamoured with ice wielded double-swords - its icy teeth protruded from its faint figure like jagged spires - the humanoid creature was somehow spider-like, with constantly jerking, crude ice limbs. The Whisperer cloaked in fire resembled a flaming wildcat - huge, roaring, down on all fours, with a fiery tail whipping back and forth menacingly - its oversized mouth was snapping, flickering, and sizzling in the rain that continued to fall all around - red flames licked the wet air, and billowing smoke shrouded the already black figures in a thick mist of darkness.

Too late to go back now. It was defend December and their teammates, or die trying.

"Ninja, _go_!" they shouted, and advanced.

December's hands shook as she pulled out another rock from another of the pockets near the cuff of her pant leg. She hissed as the burnt skin met the stone.

_I don't know if I can do this_. December looked at her fingers again, watching blood drip down from her scorched fingertips and stain the rock. She had to do it. Didn't matter if she could, she just had to do it.

Her hands throbbed as she pulled her pen from another of her pockets. She winced as another gunshot rang through the air from the other side of the cliff.

"Kai," Jay said. He was shaking his friend's shoulders. "Kai, snap out of it, buddy. Please."

Kai gibbered incomprehensibly, his eyes wide and breath erratic. A shout from behind - December glanced at the Ninja behind her. Lloyd, about four feet away from her, had fallen, but blocked the oncoming blow from the icy Whisperer with a golden sword - probably made of light. December turned back to the rock and white pen in her hands, taking a deep breath.

Then she started drawing, the white pen in her hand shaking tremendously.

_Come on. Come on._

She had only drawn part of the circle when the pen slid from her grip, slick from her blood. December cursed, tears in her eyes.

She reached for the pen in the muddy grass, when something pushed her violently to the side. She yelped in surprise. The Whisperer that had been fighting Lloyd had pushed the Green Ninja up onto her.

"Sorry," Lloyd said, gasping, bracing himself against her. His golden sword was held up against the double-swords of the screaming, writhing Whisperer. It was clear which side was winning by the way Lloyd's sword was trembling in his two handed, awkward grip, and the sickly pallor of Lloyd's face. "I'm still weak from the Vengestone," Lloyd said. "It's going to overpower me."

December huffed. "I'll give you a push," she said. "Ready?"

Lloyd nodded. "Any time now would be great," he said in a constricted voice, as the Whisperer's icy weapons pushed harder against his own, the shining sword in his hands shaking more violently.

"One," December said, wiping sweat and tears from the corners of her eyes.

The Whisperer made a sound that was breathy and malevolent - laughter?

December gritted her teeth. "Two."

"December!" Lloyd said, panicking as the Whisperer's cold sword pricked the skin of his neck.

"_Three_!"

December pushed against Lloyd with all her might, causing him to go soaring towards the Whisperer. Lloyd yelped as his foe's sword slashed his cheek, blood staining the ice, but recovered quickly and landed a blow on the Whisperer's chestplate with the hilt of his sword. His eyes met December's briefly - _thanks_, they said, as he drove the Whisperer back.

December clenched her fists, helpless on the grass. She looked around frantically for the pen.

It was gone.

"No," December murmured. She growled, her exhale a mix of despair and frustration.

She hoisted herself onto her elbows and crawled across the muddy ground. All around her, she could hear screams and shouts as the Ninja were pushed to their limits defending them from the immortal, elemental foes. This was a mess. If she had known that this place was encrypted... if Gahiji had detected the Whisperers... if only she had trusted her brother's instinct and made the Ninja stay out of this... But it was too late now. This might very well be her last fight if they couldn't hold out for London and Gahiji.

"Cole!" she shouted, looking up through the rain to see the Master of Earth helping Zane press the flaming Whisperer back towards the forest. Cole glanced at her, then struck the earth with his sword, causing a small earthquake. The Whisperer became unstable, and Zane took this chance to nail it with an onslaught of ice shards.

"December!" Cole said. "You ready?"

"No." December hauled herself to her feet. Her voice was cracked. "I lost the pen."

Cole's face hardened. "It's fine," he said hurriedly. "We just need to hold out for London and Gahiji. A minute more and they'll be here."

December nodded mutely. She swallowed her pain and raised her arms up to defend herself, falling into step between Cole and Zane. "Just keep fighting," she said. "No matter what, just keep -"

Lloyd screamed. A blood-chilling, agonized screech. The three of them whipped around to see what had happened.

The Whisperer had Lloyd down on the ground - the others were horrified to see that the double-swords had pierced Lloyd's hands, pinning them to the grass. They saw the golden sword he had formulated, which was lying in the red grass next to him, vaporize as the Whisperer made a high keening sound.

The shadow was singing again. Lloyd choked on his scream, blood pouring from his palms with every movement he made.

"Lloyd!" Zane shouted. He and Cole were there in a flash - Cole punched the Whisperer's icy gauntlet, sending a chain reaction across the entirety of the Whisperer's armor - the dark creature roared in anger, cutting its song short. Zane drove it back as Cole quickly removed the ice swords from Lloyd's hands.

"Lloyd, are you alright?" Cole said urgently. "Lloyd, answer me!"

Lloyd clasped his hands together and sat up, tears streaming down his ashen cheeks. His fingers shook tremendously. Cole slid his arm beneath Lloyd's armpit and hoisted him up to a standing position.

Cole halted suddenly.

"December!" he said. She looked up sharply. "Your pen - is this it, here?"

December's stomach lurched. "The pen?" she repeated. "Grab it!"

Cole leaned down, holding Lloyd steady, and snatched it up from off the ground. He stood up, ready to toss it to her, when his eyes widened. "December!" he exclaimed. "The Whisperer! Behind you!"

December whipped around. She was met with the angry, flaming Whisperer, merely feet from her, tail lashing, growling, white eyes blazing and undoused, wildfire armor burning as bright and powerful as ever. December held up her hands, wishing that she was shielded.

"Nice kitty," she said hopefully. The Whisperer roared, snapping its jaws threateningly.

Cole ran to Jay, Lloyd in his arms. "Jay!" he said, frantically.

"I'll take care of him," Jay said, taking the Green Ninja. He grabbed a corner of his shirt and tore a strip off - he had already done this to wrap his ankle and Kai's arm. "Go help December!"

"Gahiji!" December shouted, knowing he couldn't hear her, but angry anyways. "As soon as this is all over, you'd better have a real good reason for why you didn't know that these stupid Whisperers were here!"

"I'm coming, December!" Cole said, running as fast as he could.

December looked into the Whisperer's white, empty eyes. It stalked forward, edging her backwards - up against the cliff, December realized in horror. "Brookstone, hurry!" she screamed.

"I'm coming!" Cole said, gasping. He slipped once in the mud, but caught himself, looking up and peering through the rain. "I'm -"

"_Brookstone _-!" she cried.

Too late - the Whisperer pounced.

* * *

Cole gasped. "December!" he yelled.

December hit the edge of the cliff, the Whisperer on top of her. December coughed when she hit the ground - the fiery Whisperer roared - smoke billowed, obscuring Cole's view of the catastrophe.

Cole clutched the pen, his feet pounding over the grass harder and faster than ever. When he reached the Whisperer, he slid to the ground, running his hand along the grass as he slid. Wherever his hand had been, the earth beneath it disappeared, his elemental powers cutting through the cliffside like a hot knife through butter.

He stood up, formed a rock in between his palms, and threw it as hard as he could at the Whisperer.

The cat-like monster jerked its flaming head. It looked up and at him, empty white eyes penetrating Cole's soul. Cole's stomach lurched, but he controlled the fear.

"Here, kitty, kitty!" he said. He waved at the Whisperer tauntingly.

The shadow turned around, massive, fiery claws digging into December's arm - the woman let out a painful yelp.

"Come on!" Cole said, his tone altogether more frantic as he watched the Whisperer's paws scorch her skin. The Whisperer seemed to recognize this urgency as a weakness, and lept off of his cornered prey.

A loud, sharp crack - not a gunshot, but a rumbling, grinding crack. Cole had made the edge of the cliff unstable by removing some of the rock - the weight of the Whisperer would unbalance it.

Cole acted fast. He jumped onto the crumbling section of the cliff, sliding beneath the Whisperer, who roared indignantly. Cole felt the flames it was giving off singe his hair. On the other side of the Whisperer, he whipped around, pulled December out from beneath it, swept her into his arms and jumped onto stable ground, dropping to a roll to minimize the impact, keeping Gahiji's sister undamaged.

He heard the Whisperer scream in fury. When they stopped rolling, Cole looked over his shoulder at the falling Whisperer. The cliffside had crumbled, and the shadow seemed to be holding on to the cliff for dear life.

Cole glanced down at December, letting her out of his suffocating grip. "Sorry," he said, breathless. "You okay?"

December moaned. "It'll take more than that to stop it," she said weakly, putting her burnt hands out on the grass to support herself as she tried to stand. Cole stood and helped her up. "You forget - it's a soul. It has no body. It just pretends to have one."

Cole looked to the Whisperer. The creature's flaming armor had disappeared - it was now back to its original form, a mist of darkness, as it floated up from the crumbling cliffside. Cole felt his heart sink.

"Just hold on," December said. She assumed a ready stance, in spite of her burned skin and bleeding hands. She wiped blood and tears from the corner of her dogged icy eyes.

Cole copied her determination, though he wasn't sure if he could fight this immortal being anymore. His body cried out for rest.

"Just hold on," December repeated, as if she sensed his hesitation.

Cole turned to her. "The pen," he said, holding it up to show her. "What do I do with it?"

December hesitated, indecision scrawled across her features.

"Cole!" came a desperate shout.

Cole whisked around. Zane was barely fending off the other Whisperer - fake blood was trickling down his forehead, and his skin was torn, showing the sparking wires beneath it. "Cole, help!" he said, his voice hoarse. "It's overpowering me! I can't take it for much longer!"

Cole started to run towards him, when the other Whisperer let out its unearthly wail, commanding his full attention - it was moving straight for him and December at a quick pace.

"Hold on!" Cole said.

"Go help Juliyn!" December said, shoving him. "I can take this one!"

Cole looked at her, alarmed. "No you can't! You're too weak!"

"He's going to die if you don't go help him!" December ordered. "Go!"

"_You're_ going to die if I don't stay!" Cole said. They both looked up sharply when the Whisperer gave another shriek. It was nearly on them.

"_Move_!" Cole said. He pushed December, trying to get out of the way of the shadow, but it was too late - the Whisperer's white eyes were already inches from his face when he shoved her out of the way - Cole experienced a vertigo, the likes of which he had never felt before - pain shot through his body - things were turning black until the pain suddenly lifted and he could feel again.

He was sprawled on the ground next to December. Someone was standing over them - a bright, shimmering green light surrounded them, like a forcefield.

"Run!" the man commanded. "Run to the jet, don't look back!" The man held his tattooed arm out, green light emanating from the shining markings - it was Gahiji!

December shook Cole frantically. "Come on, get up!" she shouted. Cole felt pain spiral from his shoulder up into his head. "Run!"

Somehow Cole was on his feet. Somehow he was running like the wind, clutching his shoulder, where the Whisperer had done something to it to make it bleed like heck. Somehow he was getting into a different jet than the _Kahgei_, with more room. Somehow everyone else was there, somehow his mother was piloting the jet despite her shot ankle.

Jay was wrapping Cole's shoulder. Kai was gibbering in Lloyd's precariously balanced arms, as Lloyd's hands were of no use. Zane was clambering into the jet.

December was laying back in her seat, holding her burnt hands out in front of her. Second-degree burns on her hands, third-degree on her arms, where the Whisperer had gouged her with its claws.

"Are you alright?" she said to Cole. Her voice was sluggish and pained.

Was he alright? No. Something had taken a great big chunk out his shoulder, or so it felt. He wasn't alright.

But he gave an affirmative "Mmm." Might have given a weak smile, too, he didn't know for sure.

"We made it," December murmured, touching his arm with hers, in reassurance.

Everything past that point was a blur. Somehow, they were on their way back to Down - somehow, they were leaving their ghostly enemies behind.

Cole fainted.

* * *

**A/N: By the way, I have done a lot of art for my story, and it's on DeviantArt. I go by StoneByrd. If any of you are interested to see main characters, bad guys, Whisperers, comics, Shauto theory, and hidden secrets, there is be a folder on my gallery entitled "Whisper", full of these little goodies. **


	9. The Employee

The Employee

* * *

Buddy's Pizza

10:44 AM

* * *

"Why are we at a pizzeria?"

Garmadon slapped his hand to his forehead and let it slide down his face. Wu looked around the place conspicuously, while Misako shuffled her feet on the sidewalk. They were, indeed, standing in front of a pizzeria, the Samurai X Suit "parked" in the alley beside it. The whole road around it smelled like cheesy goodness, and Nya had not had lunch yet.

"The tracks led here," Nya said, frowning at her device. "Or, at least, so this dumb tracker says."

"How, exactly, are you tracking them again?" Garmadon asked.

"This tracker scans for the tire type directly. I ran an identification check, and nothing came up, so the tracks that the motorcycle left behind were completely unique. This tracker should be able to follow it directly, since there's no other motorcycle like this that's ever showed up."

"Wait," Misako said. "You have a tracking device that scans tire-tracks, identifies them, plots a course to find where they lead, and you still can't find where it leads." Misako had not had lunch, either.

"I'm trying," Nya said. She whacked the rectangular tracker. "I think something's interfering with the signal. It was working just fine before."

"Well, you're obviously not trying hard enough," Garmadon said, scowling. "I'm hungry. While we're here, we might as well get something to eat."

"No," Nya said, after a pause. She sighed. "We need to find whoever sabotaged us, and I'm almost certain that we won't find them at Buddy's Pizza."

Garmadon let his head rest against the lamp post and groaned.

"You never know," Misako said. "They could be here."

"I agree," Wu said. "The hiding places that enemies choose are rarely the most obvious."

Nya threw up her hands in disgust. "I give up," she said. "I need to repair this stupid tracker, and we all need to eat. To Buddy's Pizza we go."

Everyone immediately brightened. Nya found it funny that she was the figure of authority amidst the elders. Nevertheless, she led them into the restaurant, where an even stronger, more overpowering scent of pizza washed over them.

"Ohh," Garmadon said softly. "That's some great smelling pizza."

"It's Jay's favorite," Nya said.

They walked up to the counter, where a very sullen-looking employee sat, texting on his smartphone. He had slicked-back hair that looked like it couldn't decide whether to be blonde or brown and a pale face.

"Excuse me," Nya said, when he didn't seem to notice them. The employee looked up.

Nya was surprised to see an unexpected expression flash across his face. Then his face took on a countenance that was extremely neutral - too neutral for the micro expressions that had flashed across his face split seconds beforehand.

"Ahh, welcome to Buddy's Pizza," he said quickly. "Sorry. My name is William, how may I help you today?"

Nya blinked. What was that?... Had this employee recognized her?

She turned to the adults behind her. "What kind of pizza are we getting?" she said.

"Sausage, ham, bacon and pepperoni. With pineapples and extra cheese," Garmadon said.

"Pepperoni and olives," Misako said.

"Anchovies," Wu said.

There was a brief scuffle about toppings. Unfortunately for the adults, Nya put her foot down and said they would get a cheese pizza, and that was basically that since she was paying.

"One cheese pizza," William said, his thumb working the smartphone's keyboard as he replied to a text. "Anything else for you today?"

"That should be it, thanks." Nya narrowed her eyes at the employee. She could have sworn that his initial reaction to her had been one of recognition - and of fear. He was just turning around to go inform the other employees of their order, when Nya stopped him, touching his arm briefly.

"Hey," she said, testing her theory. "Do you live around here? I feel like I've met you before."

William looked startled. "Me? No. I just moved in yesterday." He rubbed his nose.

Nya scrutinized his reaction. "Oh," she said. "Sorry."

William nodded hastily and ran to the back room, neglecting to invite them to take a seat at one of the tables.

Garmadon, Wu and Misako looked at her inquisitively. "Who did you think he was?" Misako said, as they sat down at a table near the counter.

Nya shook her head. "I've never seen him in my life," she said, glancing over her shoulder at the door to the back room, which was swinging inconspicuously. "But I'm pretty sure he's seen me."

"He recognized you?" Wu said, leaning towards her over the table, his face grave.

"I think so," Kai's sister said. "He had three microexpressions; one of surprise, one of anger, and one of fear."

"How could he know who you are?" Garmadon said. "Your identity is classified, isn't it?"

"Top secret," Nya affirmed. "To NinjaGo, I'm just an unimportant little girl that tags along with the Elemental Ninja. The only way he'd recognize me is if he knew who I was."

"A pizzeria employee knows your secret identity as a Samurai," Garmadon clarified in a hushed voice. "Either there's been a major leak in information, or he's not who he says he is. "

"Neither am I," Nya said with a small smile.

"What do you think the chances are that he's the one who sabotaged us?" Wu said.

"Slim," Nya said. "But I'd rather take that chance and find out he's nothing more than an employee than to let the culprit walk right under our noses."

The adults nodded. "What do we do?" Misako asked.

"I'm going to wait," Nya said. "If he acts weird while serving us, I'll investigate."

"Sounds like a plan," Garmadon said. They all sat back in the padded benches, trying to look unassuming. Nya pulled out her phone and began began fiddling with it, to add to the guise.

William soon reappeared from the back room, carrying a cheese pizza in one hand. "One cheese pizza," he said, sliding it onto their table.

"Thanks," Nya said. William set a stack of napkins on the table next to the pizza. "How much was that? Ten dollars?"

William nodded. Nya rummaged in her pocket and pulled out her wallet, counting out twelve. "Here," she said, holding it out to him. William took it, counted it, and opened his mouth to say something. Nya watched his reaction.

There. Another microexpression. Contempt.

... What was contemptuous about a tip?

"Thanks," William said. He gave a fake smile - Nya could tell it was fake by the way his brow stayed slightly wrinkled. "Much appreciated, ma'am."

Nya smiled, making the expression seem as real as possible. William glanced once to the door to the kitchen, then spoke. "Can I get you anything to drink? Water, something else?"

"Sure," Nya said. "We'll have water."

William nodded once and walked away, shooting Nya a furtive glance - when he saw that Nya was watching him, he hurriedly looked away. Garmadon, Wu, and Misako looked to Nya, who looked back matter-of-factly.

"I'm glad I took that online microexpressions course," Nya said, "or else I never would have seen that. He definitely knows who I am, or at least suspects."

"So what do you think?" Wu said.

"I think..." Nya hesitated.

The adults all looked at her intently. Kai's sister put her head in her hands.

"I think that this pizzeria smells like something fishier than anchovies," she said finally. She glanced upwards at Garmadon. "I'm going to go have a look behind that door. Cover me."

Garmadon nodded, though Misako and Wu looked nervous.

"Careful," Misako cautioned, as Nya stood up. "Don't get caught."

"I won't," Nya whispered. Her nails dug into her palm. "I may not be a ninja, but I'm still stealthy. Count on me being back in about five minutes."

Misako nodded. Nya walked away from the table and looked around - no one seemed to notice her, and the counter was unattended. She slid over to the door and peered through the small window. It seemed to be a regular pizzeria... but then again, things weren't always as they seemed.

Nya checked over her shoulder at William, who was at the soda machine, filling four cups full of water.

Then she pushed the door open and went inside.


	10. Hidoi

Hidoi

* * *

Down, Sick Bay

2:00 PM

* * *

Zane awoke in a white room, on a padded table.

He sat up. His shoulders ached, and he felt vaguely lost. He looked around.

His brothers and December were asleep beside him. Kai slept nearest to him, brow knitted with pain - his arm was wrapped in clean bandages and no longer bound by Jay's shirt. Jay slept on Zane's other side, his face relatively peaceful, but twitching uncomfortably in his slumber.

"Hey."

Zane looked up sharply.

Azamat smiled. The boy was standing across the room next to a different padded table, where Cole, Lloyd and December slept. He was treating the wounds in Lloyd's hands with a pale green cream. His brown hair was disheveled and his green eyes tired - more exhausted than a fifteen-year-old's should be. "You're awake," he said softly.

Zane nodded wordlessly. His head made an odd scratching sound as his metal vertebrae rubbed unnaturally, sending pain shooting up his neck. He instinctively brought his hand up to the back of his neck.

"Woah, woah, don't move," Azamat said, abandoning the jar of ointment next to Lloyd's sleeping form and coming to Zane's side. "I haven't gotten to your neck yet. Lemme juss..."

Azamat gently placed his hands around Zane's neck, feeling for the irregularity, which he found quickly. When he touched the out-of-place vertebrae it sent pain shivering up Zane's twisted spine. Azamat grinned humorlessly. "Aha," he said. Without warning, he delivered a harsh chop beneath the seventh vertebrae with his small hand. Zane gasped.

"Sorry to have hurt you," Azamat said, taking his hands away. "But that should have fixed it. You're lucky you're what you are, or you wouldn'ta survived that fight."

Zane twisted his head. His steel bones no longer ground against each other painfully. "Thanks," he said, but nothing came out.

"Whoop," Azamat said. He reached into the pocket of his white coat, which, Zane noticed, was a few sizes too large for him, and pulled out a flathead screwdriver. "I'll fix that, too. Do you mind taking off your shirt?"

Zane shook his head. He peeled the white, bloodstained fabric off, and Azamat pried his panel open, revealing the mechanics inside him. The boy looked up at him. "Mind if I press a button or two?" he inquired. Zane shrugged.

So Azamat went ahead and flicked the "physical perception" switch. Zane's entire body went numb. It was a weird sensation to flex his hand and not feel anything; he had to look at it to see if it was actually moving.

Azamat tilted Zane's head to the side, exposing the jawline and the skin of his neck and upper shoulder. "Let me just say," he said, doing something with Zane's neck. "Whoever built you is a genius. Your mechanics er'just amazing."

Zane tried to make some sound in response.

"Don't say anything. I'm gonna fix your voice box." That much became apparent when Zane saw him set a layer of fake skin - _his_ skin - on the table beside him.

Zane watched the boy's concentrated face with amazement. His expression, despite its tiredness, was focused and sharp as he looked inside Zane's neck. The only hint of his young age was the softness of his skin and the flicker of energy in his eyes. Other than those two giveaways, he looked like an adult.

Someone opened the door in the background. "Hey, Azzy," said the girl, poking her head through the doorway. It was Amilia. "Anyone awake yet - oh. Zane, good to see you're functional."

"Hey-o, sis," Azamat said, glancing at her briefly, then picking up the screwdriver and leaning in close to Zane's neck. "_Somewhat_ functional, at any rate. He can't talk right now."

"Need anything?"

"Yeah, probably a micro-generator." Azamat's eyebrows raised as he took out a screw. "Wow. Yeah, a micro-generator. This little bugger has to be at least fifty years old."

"Alright. I'll get that for you. Anything else?"

"Actually." Azamat turned around to face his sister, pointing with his screwdriver towards Cole, who slept fitfully at the end of the long table. "That there Brookstone needs some ointment for his shoulder. You wanna do that, or get London in here?"

"Uh, I'll do that. Unless London wants to. But she just got a twenty-two caliber bullet removed from her shattered talus by yours truly. I doubt she wants to get up and do _anything _at this point in recovery. Fixing her son would be the least I could do, considering the pain I just put her through."

"That rhymed," Azamat said, leaning back in to examine the inner mechanics of Zane's neck.

"Whatever." Amilia rolled her eyes and left to get the micro-generator.

There were a few minutes of silence, broken only by the twisting of Azamat's screwdriver and the faint _chink_ when he removed a screw. No one else had awoken by the time that Amilia returned with the small part.

"Here," she said softly, handing it to her brother. Azamat thanked her quietly.

There was a loud _clunk_. Or, at least, to Zane it was loud. "Ah, there went the old one," Azamat said. "Don't even try to talk now. It'll shock me. There's a load of uninsulated wires here. Probably should be wearing gloves, huh?"

Zane smiled in reply. Azamat picked up the micro-generator in between his thin, white fingers, inspecting it slowly before slotting it into Zane's neck.

Something popped. "There it goes," Azamat murmured.

The teenager held a screw in place and twisted it back into the Nindroid. He repeated this, very quietly, until he had run out of screws to screw. Amilia got bored of watching the painstakingly slow process, and decided to go fix Cole.

"Done," Azamat said after another minute, letting his hands fall limp. "Try saying something."

Zane opened his mouth. "What do I say?" he asked.

Azamat chuckled. "I dunno, just something," he said, his tired green eyes glowing with laughter.

"I can't think of anything to say."

"How about... Pickles are pickled in pickle-juice."

"But pickles are not pickled in 'pickle-juice'," Zane said. "The pickling process does not include any liquid from any pre-manufactured pickles. It consists of vinegar, cucumbers, selective spices, and a natural transformation that takes place after said cucumbers have been exposed to excessive periods of time, often from six to nine weeks depending on the initial size of the cucumber and acidic properties of the vinegar."

Azamat opened Zane's panel and pressed the switch again. "How does that feel?" he said, smiling good-naturedly. Zane fingered his Adam's apple.

"Good," he said. His voice rang clearly, and he grinned. "Improved."

Azamat reattached the layer of skin he had removed from Zane's neck. Zane then understood why he had deactivated the "physical perception" switch before they had started - as soon as the removed layer of skin was connected to his nape, it stung and throbbed painfully.

"That's it," Azamat said. "I got the worst of everything before you woke up, I think. I missed the voice box though."

"Are you a mechanic?" Zane asked.

Azamat shrugged. "Out of necessity. Not a very fulfilling career for me, though. If I was to be a mechanic of any sort, I'd be the kind that builds those crazy rollercoasters that make you ride upside-down. I've been on two or three. They're awesome. But nah, you won't see me getting a college degree for any sort of mechanical gizzmo-fixing anytime soon. Rather do something cooler with myself, like be a tattoo artist, or stunt performer or something awesome." He smiled.

Amilia scoffed. "Not as long as you're my brother, you won't," she said firmly. "Tattoos are impractical and you could injure yourself badly as a stunt performer." She stood beside Cole, a big bag of first-aid hanging from the crook of her elbow as she removed the bandages from around the Master of Earth's shoulders and upper torso.

"_Gahiji's_ tattoos aren't impractical," Azamat countered. "He's saving our sorry butts with them."

Amilia grimaced. "Touche."

Azamat chuckled, and held out his hand to help Zane off the table and onto his feet. "Amilia is determined to make my life as miserable as possible," he explained. "She thinks that I should go stick my face in a rocket science book and do 'something practical' with my life. She doesn't like my earrings, either, but I think they're cool." He pointed to the three silver ornaments in each ear, smiling. Zane inspected them. "I would get a tattoo, but Amilia won't let me," Azamat added sullenly.

"You're darned right I won't let you," Amilia said. "I have said this three-hundred forty-eight times in the last month. Tattoos are impractical, and they can't be undone, unless you wanted to spend a fortune on laser removal. I think it's outrageous that you are tested and proven to have an IQ of one-hundred ninety, and you decide you are to waste your life on tattoos, fighting clubs and extreme sports."

"Aww, tested, schmested." Azamat waved a hand disdainfully. "At least I'm saving the world."

"Which brings up another point. As long as you are learning Shauto, I think you should refrain from distracting yourself from your duty, namely, as you put it, 'saving the world'. And when I use the phrase 'distracting yourself', I refer to the improper people that you associate with. I never remember, are they extreme sportsmen or lawbreakers?"

"Hey," Azamat said, tone suddenly fierce. "You already controll my regular life, I don't need you to control my social life, too. I'm serious. I hang out with who I want to hang out with. Quit obstructing me."

Amilia paused. The light argument had taken a serious twist - Zane could feel the sudden tension between the twins. Azamat glared at his sister, daring her to object.

He must have really been devoted to his friends... if indeed that was who his "social life" was composed of.

"Fine," Amilia said finally. She looked away. "But it's improper for a boy of your age and status to have a large tattoo on his neck, which I know is where you want that bright green skull design you have stashed in your dresser drawer."

"Alright, then, mother. I'll be a good boy, and when I grow up, I'll get straight A's on my quantum physics papers and patent a time machine, just like you always wanted me to." Azamat's voice grew jovial again as he poked fun at his sister.

Amilia rolled her eyes. "That doesn't even deserve a reply," she said.

Azamat grinned at her back. To Zane, he whispered, "If I'm lucky, I'll get Gahiji to give me the name of his tattooist within the next year or so."

Then, in a regular tone, "You oughta see that guy's tattoos up-close. His entire back and shoulders are covered. It's pretty spectacular." Then he paled. "Ahh, sorry," he said to Zane, quieter. "I mean, what I meant to say was, Gahiji's tattoos are awesome, but don't tell him I saw them."

"What do you mean?" Zane said.

Azamat rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly. "Well... I kind of walked in on him a few months ago, and saw them while he was getting changed. I got out of there too fast for him to notice me though."

"Why is that a big deal?"

"... Gahiji has never showed his tattoos to anybody. Even mentioning his tattoos will get you on his bad side. So... don't tell him that I saw them."

At that moment, Jay woke up.

"_Aggh_," he said. He propped himself up on his elbows slowly, his face pained. Azamat turned around, surprised.

"Oh, hey there, Walker," he said. "How you feeling?"

Jay moaned and rubbed his eyes. "For someone who just woke up after a traumatic battle with a magical ghost, I'm pretty alright." He winced as he shifted his feet. "My ankle feels like it was stuck in a waffle iron, though."

"It'll take a while to heal," Azamat agreed. "Sorry. But nothing else out of the ordinary? Pretty alright?"

"Nothing. Just the crazy urge to consume those marshmallow ducks you get on Easter. What are they called? Peeps?"

Azamat laughed. "Where did that come from?" he asked. Jay shrugged.

"You weren't there for the whole marshmallow conversation, were you?" he said. Azamat shook his head.

Amilia made an annoyed grunt. "_Elughh_," she said. "That's a distasteful sight. And I'm never going to forget that."

"Forget what?" Azamat said, suddenly interested.

"Cole's wound."

"Ooh, I wanna see." Azamat ran over to look at it. Zane was compelled to follow.

The Master of Earth wasn't doing so well. There was a huge, inflamed wound in his right shoulder that had indeed started bleeding again, deep, rusty colored liquid seeping from the thousands of tiny puncture marks. It looked like a good-sized shark had managed to get its teeth in his shoulder and had a split second to bite down before it was detained - the Whisperer must have used an element to give itself teeth and a jaw. Cole's breathing was erratic and shallow.

Zane grimaced at the wound. He felt bad for Cole. His bite was quite grotesque. No doubt it hurt like heck.

"Wow," Azamat said. "I don't have a photographic memory, but I'm never going to forget that, either. That's _sick_, man!" Azamat laughed. "Imagine the scar he's going to have later. That'll be awesome."

"You're just weird," Amilia said.

"Trust me. It'll be a cool looking scar when it heals."

"It'll be a _scar_ when it heals. Please get out of my way. The others will be waking up soon, and I suggest you be ready for them. December will wake up first, then Lloyd, and Kai will wake last before Cole."

"Whatever, whatever."

Zane was watching the Master of Lightning slide off of the table onto the floor. "I wouldn't try that, Jay," he said.

But he warned him too late, as Jay's foot collided with the ground and instantly collapsed beneath him. Jay grabbed the padded table for support, gasping.

"Wow," he said, gritting his teeth. "Ahh - wow - that really hurts - _aaaahhh_."

Azamat hastily came over to help him back onto the table. "I'll get you a cane," he said, as Jay recovered his balance and sat up straight. "Sorry, probably should have got you one in the first place."

Jay massaged his thighs, looking at his bandaged right foot with disapproval. "This sucks," he said, inhaling through clenched teeth.

Azamat disappeared into a closet next to the sink, where Amilia was letting the warm water run over Cole's back. He reappeared quickly with a dark oak cane.

"Here," he said, giving it to Jay. "Don't use it now. Get some rest."

Jay rolled his eyes, but stayed sitting upright, expression sour.

Zane sat down beside him.

According to Amilia's prediction, December woke next. She moaned, moved her head a little bit, but stayed where she was, blinking blearily.

Azamat was beside her in an instant. "You alright there, fighter lady?" he asked.

December just let out a long, throaty moan.

"Think she can hear me?" Azamat wondered aloud.

Zane shook his head. "Probably not," he said.

Azamat grinned, suddenly wearing a mischievous smile. He leaned down next to December and whispered, "Hey, there, babe."

He recoiled when December's foot connected hard with his solar plexus. Jay laughed out loud as December hoisted herself up onto her left elbow, her eyes half-open in painful reluctance. Azamat sank to the floor, clutching his abdomen and gasping.

"I can hear you, idiot," she croaked. Amilia snickered behind her hand and Jay laughed harder.

Azamat recovered quickly. "I don't think I deserved that," he said reproachfully, grimacing and rubbing the spot where she had kicked him. "That was totally uncalled for."

December let her head collide with the cushioned surface beneath her wearily. "Sorry," she said, though she didn't sound apologetic in the least. "Instinct."

"It's your instinct to kick people in the stomach if they call you a babe?" Azamat said, alarmed. "How many people have you sent to the hospital in the last five years, then?"

December just moaned.

"How are you feeling, December?" Amilia said from her position at the sink.

"Like I should have stayed asleep. My _arm_..." December's hands and left arm were wrapped in thick bandages.

"You are doing an impressive job of keeping yourself from breaking down completely," Amilia said. "We'll change your bandages in two hours and thirty-seven minutes approximately. You've already been administered a tetanus shot. How are the painkillers working?"

Kicking Azamat must have taken quite a bit of effort, because December could only whisper, "Not very well. I feel like..."

"Like you stuck your arm in a waffle iron?" Jay said. "Yeah. That's how I feel, too, but yours probably hurt a little worse."

"Is there anything else that will help?" December asked. "Numbing shot? Sedative?"

"Wow, it hurts that bad, huh?" Azamat said. "We don't have anything that could really help... We do have lollipops, though, do you want a lollipop?"

December groaned. "No, Azamat, I don't want a lollipop."

Jay laughed. "Hey, dude, that was funny," he said, holding up his hand.

"Thanks," Azamat said. He and Jay exchanged fist-bumps.

"Where's my brother?" December murmured.

As if on cue, the door opened, and Gahiji rushed into the room, pushing past Zane and Azamat. "_Sestra_," he blurted. He was at December's side instantly. "_Sestra_, how are you?"

December opened her eyes weakly. "_Brat'_," she said. It was evident that her relief was solely in that Gahiji was there beside her, clasping her bandaged hand tightly.

"How are you?" Gahiji repeated, urgently.

"It is physical pain beyond anything I've experienced," December admitted.

Gahiji was grieved. "Forgive me, _sestra_," he said softly. The iron tone that Zane was used to was no longer detectable. It was almost unrecognizable as Gahiji's voice. "This is my doing. If only I had known that an open area could be encrypted, then I would have never have left you."

"_Net, brat'_," December said. "None of us knew. It is the meaning of peace that I am as I am."

Everyone, Zane was surprised to see, looked away sheepishly, as if they were trying not to listen. Zane would have thought they would have looked on with interest - such a show of weakness on Gahiji's part, Zane guessed, was not an often occurrence.

Gahiji frowned, looking as if he wanted to object to that statement, but didn't. "You are my sister," he insisted. "Regardless, I should have taken better care of you."

"You forget, _brat'_," December said. "I am not weak. I can take care of myself, as much as _you_ can take care of _your_self."

Gahiji's eyes flickered towards Zane briefly. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it.

Then he said, quietly, "_No ya _ne mogu_ o sebe pozabotit'sya, sestra. Vy znayete chto._" His silver eyes showed a state of being that Zane hadn't seen in him until now - humility? Sadness? Regret?

December's expression, though still wrought with pain, clouded with solemnity. There was a long silence. Zane wished he knew Amidian, so that he could have figured out what Gahiji had said.

"I refuse to let you blame this on yourself," December said at last. "It is as much your fault as it is everyone else's. End of discussion. Do you happen to have a blanket for me? It's cold."

The man sighed. "No," he said, "but you can have my cloak." Gahiji stood up reluctantly, removing his long black garment and wrapping it around his sister. He was wearing a dark green jacket underneath.

"While you're here, Gahiji," Amilia said suddenly. She had turned off the water running from the faucet. "Tell us. How is London doing?"

Gahiji looked up. It startled Zane to see his customary mask of assertiveness, no longer plagued with grief and regret. "She's asleep," he said.

"You want to tell us what happened down there?" Jay said. "All we know is that people were shooting and London was shot. What did you find?"

Gahiji hesitated. He eventually sat down on the table beside his sister, his brow furrowed. Zane noticed how tired he looked, his appearance suggesting that he had not had a moment's rest after he had piloted the _Kahgei_ back. His long white hair was pulled back in a hasty, red-streaked ponytail, and face and hands were smeared with soot and dried blood.

"Not much," he said finally. "I'm sure there's something there besides all the weapons they were manufacturing. The guards definitely gave that much away. Expert snipers. There were gunners we didn't even see from the cliff. They would have killed London if she hadn't have moved at the last second. Shooting to kill.

"The other big indicator that there was something else they were making was the Hidoi, which the guards freely used."

Amilia and Azamat both jumped. Neither Zane nor Jay knew what "Hidoi" was, but they could tell it was bad - Amilia stared at Gahiji, eyes wide, and Azamat clenched his fists.

"No," Amilia breathed.

"They had to have been using Hidoi in the first place," Gahiji pointed out. "Or else they couldn't have encrypted the place."

"What is Hidoi?" Zane asked.

"It's like Shauto," Amilia said. "Only..."

"Evil." Gahiji finished for her. His face was dour. "The evil side of it. Shauto and Hidoi are very much the same, but the one is used for good and the other for evil."

Jay was confused. "Wait, if they're the same thing -?" he began.

Gahiji interrupted. "Hidoi will corrupt your soul and will end up destroying you inside and out," he said flatly. "That is what separates Shauto from Hidoi."

Jay and Zane shut their mouths.

"That's why I think there's something more than weapons being made there," Gahiji said, after a pause. "A true Hidein will have something more than combat instruments in mind."

"So they were using Hidoi," Amilia said, nervously. Both she and Azamat were looking at Gahiji with terrified mesmerization. "How did you get out of there?"

"Remote shields will not work in encrypted places," Gahiji said. "But a manually induced shield will. I threw one up and helped London out of there with minor issues. Next time, we won't be so careless with security measures. We could have both been killed easily."

"But we did learn that it is encrypted," Amilia said. "As well as what we're up against."

"But we did not answer the real question," Gahiji said. "Who is doing this, and what is their motive?"

Amilia and Azamat both looked ponderous and grim. Zane and Jay didn't completely understand the situation, but they could guess what was going on. There was obviously someone other than the Whisperers that the Five were up against - possibly that someone was working _with_ the Whisperers.

"Out of curiosity," Azamat said, after about a minute of listening to the harsh breathing of Lloyd and Kai, and Amilia re-wrapping Cole's bite. "What sort of weapons are being manufactured there?"

Gahiji rummaged in the pockets of his cargo pants. "These," he said, pulling out a few objects. "Among other things."

He hefted an unloaded gun into the air. It was purple and shimmering. "_Temno_, twenty-two pistol. Fiber-optic front sight, bull barrel. Semi-automatic." Gahiji turned it, so that they could get a good look at it. "We'll have to examine it more closely later, but it's a fairly decent gun."

He then showed a small, black and violet ball, with a hook and a catch - a stun grenade. "Standard flash grenade, with a few changes," Gahiji said. "This one has been deactivated."

"Can I see that?" Amilia said. Gahiji nodded, and tossed it at her head. Amilia caught it and inspected it.

"We're lucky that we didn't get one of those chucked at us," Gahiji said. "From what I can tell, it's designed to not only flash, but exude a chemical. Methoxyflurane, if I'm not mistaken."

Amilia paused. "Probably," she said. "I'll take a scanner to it later."

"Meth-whatsy-floor-ane...?" Jay said, unfamiliar with the term.

"Methoxyflurane. A halogenated ether, used by several agencies as volatile inhalational anesthetic," Gahiji explained.

Jay's eyebrows raised. "I see," he said. A flat-out lie.

Azamat rolled his eyes. "It's a sleeping gas," he simplified.

"There was also this," The Amidian man continued. He held something up for everyone to see.

It was a polished silver shuriken, with two-inch purple ribbons hanging from the edge of each blade.


	11. Investigation

Investigation

* * *

Buddy's Pizza

11:01 AM

* * *

Nya glanced over her shoulder at William before letting the door swing softly shut. She took a deep breath, inspecting the place.

The inside of the kitchen was typical - stainless steel appliances, stainless steel counters, stainless steel ovens... etcetera. What intrigued Nya was that there was not an employee in sight. She had expected to have to dodge them left and right, but all she could hear was the low whoosh of fans above her head... it was better to sneak around without them, of course, but still strange.

The pizza boxes were pizza boxes...

The counters were counters...

The ovens were ovens...

The cupboards were cupboards...

There was a door at the back. Probably the pantry. And the pantry was probably the pantry. No harm in checking, though.

Nya was pleased with her soft-toed sneakers, as the only sound they made was a soft _pat pat pat_ when she ran across the tiled room to get to the pantry door. Nya reached forward and tried the stainless steel door handle.

What do you know. A pantry.

Nya scratched her head. She looked around apprehensively, expecting an employee at any moment. Their absence was strange.

Had she been wrong? Had William just been a regular employee after all, then? But if he had, why would he have had those microexpressions?

Nya was on the verge of giving up her search when something caught her eye.

There was a back door.

Nya ran across to it. _Pat pat pat_.

The door had no windows to look through. So she reached forward and tried the doorknob.

Something _beep_ed. Nya jumped and drew her hand back, waiting for something to happen, heart pounding in her ears.

_Beep_.

Nya let out a short sigh when she realized it was her tracker. She scrambled in her pocket to mute it, fumbling with her hands.

_Beep_.

"Shut up!" Nya hissed. She put her hand over the speaker to muffle it. Then she read the screen, and froze.

On the screen, it showed the floor beneath her... and a glowing, white tire track. Nya crouched down to the floor, feeling the floor - a crust of dirt came back up with her fingers. The motorcycle had been through here and past that door. Shouldn't that have caused a riot, a motorcycle driving straight into a pizza parlor?

Nya stood up and grabbed hold of the doorknob, twisting it. Locked. No matter...

Nya reached into her sneakers and pulled out a small, red key. It was long and straight, with a gold tip and almost no projections. Her own design. Would unlock anything.

She stuffed it into the doorknob and turned. _Click_. Ha. Whoever sabotaged them had terrible security, despite their excellent sabotaging skills.

Nya held her breath and turned the knob.

"_Hey!_"

She whipped around.

William stood in the kitchen doorway. His features were grim, but he was smiling.

"That's what I thought," he said, in a tone that sent shivers up Nya's spine. "Shoot, thought choo were smarter than that. We've been expecting you."

"Expecting me?" Nya said. Her hands were going to her boots, where she hid her emergency weapons - two war fans tucked against her shins.

_Shhiiink_. He twirled a pair of shurikens in his hands. William's wicked smile grew wider. "How many tricks does the famous Samurai X have up her sleeves, eh?" he said.

Nya acted fast. Just as William raised his shurikens, Nya slid the war fan out of her boot, lifting it and opening it right as the employee let go of the shurikens. The metal objects struck the handle of the fan and ricocheted off. Nya pulled a second war fan out of her other boot and stood, raising both weapons defensively.

William lifted his gloved hands. The shurikens, which lay motionless on the tiled floor, zipped through the air back to his grip. He lowered his hands - Nya guessed that the suspension between the glove and the shuriken was magnetic, because the shuriken was twirling faster than a human could spin one; without resistance from the air or his hands.

"Nice," he said nonchalantly, as if he had not just defied the laws of nature by wordlessly commanding his shurikens to return. "But a paper fan will only do you so much good."

Nya didn't give him a chance to say anything more before she struck. She jumped forward and struck his wrists with the fans. She didn't get farther than that before she had to retreat - she ducked as a rapidly spinning shuriken came for her face, slicing a feather's worth of hair from her bangs like an electric razor.

As she ducked, William swept her feet from beneath her, causing her to fall flat on her back. Her head hit the tiled floor hard - things got blurry fast. William's forearm came down on her chest, keeping her pressed to the floor. Nya lifted her hand as he jabbed her neck with his index and middle fingers; she had half-blocked the move, but he had still hit her hard enough to cause her to cough relentlessly as she gasped for breath.

"Easily outwitted," he said. "Weak defense... and you call yourself a Samurai?"

"Weak defense?" Nya repeated, her voice constricted. She kicked him. The force of her kick sent William spiralling backwards into a trolley of pizza boxes. Kai's sister struggled to her feet, but didn't waste a moment, running to her attacker to strike him on the forehead with her war fan.

William slid to the floor before the fan could land true. He knocked Nya's shins with his feet - Nya yelped as she lost foothold on the ground - she landed hard and fast right on top of the employee, who grabbed her and flipped her over, back to the floor.

"Hold still, will you?" he snarled, pushing her against the pizza trolley.

"Heck no," Nya said.

As he pushed her against the trolley, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him forward, knocking her forehead with his nose, stunning him and causing blood to spout from his nostrils. William howled. Then she took hold of his wrists and bent them backwards, giving her room to slip out from underneath him. William was recovering, but not fast enough - Nya managed to land a blow on his back with the fan.

The employee gasped and fell to his hands and knees, blood pouring from his face. Nya kicked him over, and he collapsed to the tile, breathing hard.

Someone pounded on the door to the kitchen. Nya looked up, shocked - she saw that someone, probably William, had bolted the door shut. How had she missed that lock on the inside when she was searching? "Nya!" came Sensei Wu's voice. "Nya, we're coming!"

Then William flicked his hand, and a shuriken flew from his grip, straight towards Nya's head - she brought the fan up to protect herself, ducking - the shuriken slashed right through the fan, rendering the weapon useless. William stood up, letting the other shuriken fly - it put a gash in her other fan.

"Help!" Nya shouted at the door, so that the others knew she was still alive.

She chucked the fans at William and punched him in the jaw. He fell backwards, crashing into the counter, banging his head on the cupboards and spattering more blood everywhere - Nya cringed at the sight of it. She pounced on him, elbowing him in the chest and pressing the side of his face to the countertop. William gasped for breath; Nya leaned her forearm against his head and grabbed his wrist, pulling off one of his gloves.

Before she could take off the other, William wrapped one leg around one of hers and pulled it towards him, twisting it. Nya yelped and lost her balance - William managed to escape the arm that was holding him down to grab her, so that she couldn't free her trapped leg. The pain was intense.

"Hold on, Nya!" another voice shouted - Nya didn't know who it was because of the pain she was in.

Nya gasped when he reached around and grabbed her by her hair, pulling down so that she had to lean back until her head was nearly touching the backs of her calves. She heard her tendons creak - the world turned upside down, and the pain was like fire.

Nya heard William exhale breathlessly. She was tiring him out. One good move now, and she'd be free.

She kicked with her free leg - she hit something, and she heard a sharp _crack_ and a scream. William's hold on her hair loosened, and Nya collapsed onto the floor next to the island, the pain in her head and legs relieving; she leaned against the island, looking up to see what she had hit.

William clasped his arm. She had squished it against the counter. It was bleeding - it probably hit the edge of the counter and broke. A wave of guilt crashed through her... she hadn't meant to hurt him that badly.

"Damn it," the man spat. He leaned against the counter for support and lifted his other hand. The shuriken that had totalled Nya's fan shot through the air, back to his hold. "You just don't quit, do you?" he said.

"Nope," Nya said breathlessly. She scooted backwards and scrambled to her feet, hearing the shuriken clang against the edge of the island and ducking with a gasp. She recovered her balance, but not before William jumped forward and pinned her against the island.

"Got you," he purred. Nya squirmed - she managed to shift in his grip just enough to turn around and face him. There was blood trickling into his sideburns from his nose, and his eyes were wild.

She lifted her leg to knee him in the stomach, but he slapped his broken arm over top of her, and squeezed her abdomen with the good one, causing instant immobility on her part. He backed her up against the counter - his leg lifted and he placed his knee on her diaphragm - her hands were pinned together.

"_You_, little lady," William said fiercely, "are coming with me." He pulled a small, purple tab from his jean pocket, dropping the shuriken so that he could peel an adhesive guard from it with his fingernail. Blood dripped all over the place; he was obviously in agonizing pain as his shaking fingers removed the guard. Beneath the adhesive was an array of hair-thin needles.

Nya was helpless to move. His knee pushed farther and farther into her as he leaned forward to stick the tab to her neck - struggling made the pain in her lower torso worse. "_Aaah_," she said desperately, as he rested his shaking hand on her neck to press the tab into her.

"Goodnight, Samurai," he said painfully, a wicked smile twisting his thin lips for a moment. "I'll see you down there."

Then William grunted - the tab fell from her neck onto the counter, and William's hold on her loosened. He suddenly slumped right over onto her, unconscious. Nya couldn't pull him off of her.

She didn't have to, as it turned out. Two hands grabbed him and pried him from her, but not without leaving a trail of his blood over her shirt from his still bleeding arm.

Nya looked up at her rescuer, gasping for breath.

Garmadon shoved William's body to the floor. "That was close," he said, as William crumpled to the ground lifelessly. He looked up at Nya, concerned. "Are you alright?"

Nya clutched her abdomen, breathing hard, lightheaded. She felt sick looking at William's body - he lie on the floor, blood gushing from his arm, unmoving. "I-I think so," she said. She coughed from the reek of William's blood. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

"Just knocked him out," Garmadon said quickly. "Sorry about that. We would have been here sooner if he hadn't have locked the door. Hold on to me." He took Nya's elbows lightly and helped her to stand without falling over.

"That's fine," Nya said, recovering some of her wits. "He was pretty tough for a waiter, though... I need to catch my breath."

Misako and Wu were there, too. "What was he doing?" Misako asked.

"He was going to put that on me," Nya said. She pointed a shaky finger to the purple, needle-covered tab on the counter beside her. Wu picked it up, holding the needles to the light.

"Probably a tranquilizer of some sort," he remarked.

"He probably meant to take me hostage, then," Nya said. Her heart was finally calming down, and she took her arms out of Garmadon's steadying grasp. "Take me to someone higher. I know he wasn't trying to kill me, because he was certainly powerful enough to."

There was a short silence.

"What do you think the chances of him being the one who sabotaged us are now?" Sensei Wu said sarcastically.

Nya gave a short, fake laugh, then stopped - that hurt. "I'd say it's pretty much certain he was," she said. "Which means that the _Destiny's_ _Bounty_'s hard drive has to be in there." She pointed to the back door, which stood slightly ajar.

"What are we waiting for?" Garmadon said. "Let's go."

"Wait," Nya said. Then she crouched down next to the unconscious William. Looking at him made her insides flop - this man had nearly captured her a few seconds ago. "We can't just leave him," she murmured reluctantly. "He'll bleed to death."

After a moment, and she didn't hear agreement, she looked up.

"Would anyone like to help, please?" she said.

Garmadon glanced sideways at Wu. "Nya, this man just tried to kidnap you," he said.

"I don't care. If I left him here now, I'd be as good as a murderer." Nya glared at the elderly man. "I'm a Samurai, remember. I fight with honor."

Garmadon hesitated. But Misako and Wu jumped forward hastily and started helping.

"Let's make sure that he's unarmed, too," Nya said. "Is there anything to brace the arm with?"

They wrapped the arm with strips of William's sleeve, and then braced it with two wooden mixing spoons from the kitchen and more of William's sweater. For his face, they dabbed it with a washcloth they had found on the counter and left it.

After searching the employee, they found two stun grenades, four more shurikens, and a pistol. "Glad he didn't need the gun for his kidnapping mission," Nya said, turning it over in her hands. "What is this, _Temno_?"

They then stuffed him in the pantry. Amazingly enough, it seemed as if the whole place was devoid of any other employees, so they were safe on that account. Wu had the good sense to switch out the "open" sign on the door to the pizzeria to the "sorry, we're closed" sign, and Misako hurriedly mopped up the blood on the floor with the washcloth.

"If this guy was guarding up here," Garmadon said, as they faced the doorway that Nya had opened, "who knows how advanced the guards in there will be?"

"We have to check," Nya said. "I doubt that William was the biggest threat. There's gotta be someone more powerful behind this."

"Agreed," Wu said. "And whoever is behind this probably has more than just the Samurai X in mind - they might even be holding the Ninja hostage."

This had not occurred to Nya, but now that it was out there, she had to admit that her Sensei was probably right.

"Let's go," she said. "If Kai and the others are down there, then we don't have a second to waste."

* * *

Down, Sick Bay

2:34 PM

* * *

Cole refused Amilia's steadying hand. "I'm fine," he growled. "I can handle myself."

"Dude, Cole, don't be an idiot," Lloyd said weakly. "Just lie down. You have the worst wound of all of us - besides December's, of course."

Cole was sitting on the edge of the table, tense all over, tan skin visibly paler, and he was clutching the table for dear life, shaking hard. "I'm fine," he insisted. "I-I'm fine."

Amilia grabbed him firmly. "Brookstone, you're weak," she said. "Lie down. I'll take care of it."

"Cole, please," Zane said.

Cole paused, closing his eyes, taking deep breaths. His face was pained. "I-I need to see my mother," he said. "Where is she?"

Gahiji stood up from his spot next to his sister. "Lie down, Brookstone, or I'll make you," he said, in a forceful tone.

Cole hesitated, then reluctantly eased himself back onto the table.

"London was asleep last I checked, which was about a half hour ago," Gahiji said tiredly. "Just get some sleep. Amilia will heal you."

"Amilia will heal me?" Cole repeated, sounding confused.

"Yes," Amilia said. "Using Shauto. Please stay still."

Lloyd looked to Azamat, who stood beside him, wrapping the Green Ninja's hands. "You can really do that?" he asked the youth.

Azamat nodded. "It's one of the most basic Shauto maneuvers," he said. "It takes a little practice, but it's pretty easy to do. We can't perform it while you're unconscious, though, which is why we waited."

Lloyd turned back to Amilia and Cole. The Ninja of Earth was slowly turning himself back onto his stomach, so that Amilia could reach the wound. Amilia pulled something out of her pocket, a vial of translucent green liquid (the same liquid that Gahiji had used to heal Jay the night before), and began pouring some into her hand.

"This'll hurt a little," she said. Cole braced himself. Amilia dipped her finger into the pool she had made in her hand, and began drawing something on the bandages above Cole's wound.

"What is she drawing?" Lloyd said.

"It's the symbol for Heal," Azamat explained. He, too, was removing a vial of the same liquid from his oversized white coat. "The Shauto move cannot be acted upon without the precise symbol to transfer its energy through, which is why you have to draw it. Then, to use it, you have to recite the words of the 'ritual' that goes along with the symbol. Pretty easy, but only after you've had the proper mental training."

Once Amilia had the symbol drawn - it didn't look unlike the symbol for Rescue, which Lloyd had seen December draw - she clapped her hands together, rubbing the remaining peppermint extract all over her hands. Then she gently pressed her hands to Cole's back, Cole flinching slightly. "Sorry," Amilia said.

Then she closed her eyes and started to recite. "_Zhit_', _rebenok_, _i_ _zlo_ _ischeznet_," she said, her voice soft.

"All the incantations are in Amidian," Azamat added to Lloyd. "I dunno why. Amidian just works better than Ninjagian, I guess. Watch!"

To everyone's astonishment (except December, Gahiji, Amilia and Azamat's, of course), Amilia's hands and the symbol that was drawn in peppermint extract started to glow bright green. There was a breeze, which ruffled Amilia's hair, and the light grew progressively brighter.

Then everything settled, as suddenly as it had started. Cole's breathing seemed to be easier - he propped himself up on his hands.

Amilia took a step back. Her hands were no longer covered in liquid, and the symbol had disappeared. "It'll be sore for a few days, still," she said. She sounded weary. "But I got the worst of it.

Cole sat up. He touched his shoulder gently, his fingers finding gaps in the bandages, and he felt the skin. It was smooth, healed skin, even though it was raw. He looked at Amilia, amazed. "Wow," he said. "You just healed that?"

"Have a mint," Amilia said in reply, holding out her hand, where there sat a peppermint. Cole took it and popped it into his mouth, and the pallor of his skin seemed to disappear instantly.

"That's amazing," Lloyd said. "How come more people don't know about Shauto? This could really be used for some great things."

"We have to be careful," Azamat said. He was drawing symbols on each of Lloyd's outstretched hands with liquid. "There are people out there who will do stupid things with it. Heck, there are people in here who will do stupid things with it," he added sheepishly. Lloyd had a feeling that it was a confession. "And it's still highly temperamental. Be ready, this might hurt a little."

Lloyd watched Azamat rub the liquid all over his hands, and tensed. Azamat placed his hands on Lloyd's, and said, promptly, "_Zhit_', _rebenok_, _i_ _zlo_ _ischeznet_."

It was probably the strangest thing that Lloyd had ever experienced. It tickled. It hurt. It made him want to laugh and cry. He could feel skin and bone mending and growing in his hands - and then, suddenly, the growing stopped. The pain in his hands increased.

... Something was wrong.

"_Aahh_," Lloyd said. Why did that hurt so much? It was like blood trying to flow where it couldn't... pressure like nothing before, bone against blood and skin, grating on each other - worse than getting the icy swords through his hands.

"Azamat!" someone said.

There was a clatter.

Lloyd opened his eyes. Azamat had collapsed - he held onto the table for support, but he was shaking all over.

Gahiji helped him up. "What was that?" he demanded of the boy, who clutched his arm desperately.

"E-exhaustion," Azamat whispered feebly. He looked ready to faint.

Gahiji growled in annoyance. "Stop staying out so late," he said. "And get more sleep. Get out of the way."

"_Aaahhh_," Lloyd said again, louder. It still hurt. Bad. "_Aahh_... _aahhh_..."

Gahiji thrust a glove with Shauto markings on his right hand and grabbed both Lloyd's hands. "_Zhit_', _i_ _zlo_ _ischeznet_," he said impatiently.

Lloyd sighed with relief as the worst pain disappeared, replaced with a dull ache.

"I-I'm sorry, Gahiji," Azamat gasped, trying to stand, but still totally dependent on Gahiji's arm for support. "I really -"

"Shut up," Gahiji said, drawing his hands back. Gahiji turned and gave Azamat a piercing glare.

Azamat looked apologetic. "I'm sorry," he said again. "Really, really, sorry. I thought I could take it -"

"It's fine," Gahiji snapped. "Just... shut up and let go of me."

Azamat clamped his mouth shut and let go of Gahiji, regaining his balance. He ran a hand through his hair, looking weak and sleepy.

Gahiji turned around, to face his sister, who lie on the table a ways from Lloyd. His shoulders were tense.

Lloyd looked toward Azamat questioningly, finding that Amilia was helping her brother stand.

"What -?" he said. He didn't know what to ask.

Amilia shook her head. "Healing takes energy," she said. "All of Shauto does. Gahiji healed London's wound _and _saved you a few hours ago, and he used a lot of his strength. Then he came back and re-healed London's wound after I extracted the bullet, which took almost the rest of him. To heal December, he needs to have his energy back, and Azamat's failing means that he had to use it on you immediately, because once a healing is in process, it should never be halted - that results in painful half-grown bones and high blood pressure."

"In other words, your Shauto abilities are limited," Lloyd said. "Which means that everyone needs rest."

Amilia nodded. "Yeah, pretty much," she agreed. She then gave her brother a withering look. "Azamat should respect that more and go to bed on time."

Azamat looked like he really wanted to argue, but couldn't.

"You alright, Gahiji?" Amilia said.

Gahiji waved at her dismissively, but he swayed on his feet. He grabbed the table quickly. "I need to sit down," he muttered at last. Lloyd realized just what Amilia meant by "nearly all his energy". Gahiji was barely on his feet - if Lloyd looked close, he could see that he was shaking.

Amilia handed him a folding chair from the closet. Gahiji unfolded it and sat down next to his sister, placing his head in his hands.

There was a silence. Azamat gave up trying to stand by himself, and sat down on the floor. Amilia seemed to be having trouble standing, too.

"I'm tired," Jay said, lying down on the table listlessly. He let his hands splay out to the sides, and his fingers brushed someone's face - it was Kai's, who still slept soundly next to him. "How is Kai still out?" he asked incredulously, when Kai didn't wake.

"Trauma, probably," Amilia said. "he has the right idea, though. We _all_ should sleep. That's the best thing we can do right now."

"I'm not tired, though," Zane put in. "I could prepare food for us."

"That sounds like a grand idea," Azamat said spontaneously, his voice muffled in his lab coat as he used it for a pillow.

"Will you need help?" Amilia asked.

"No. I should be fine, as long as everything is in the kitchen."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I will be fine. Unless you want to help. But I suspect you would rather sleep."

Amilia nodded. "Yeah," she admitted. "I would."

Zane smiled and got up off the table. "I'll make us some food, then," he said. "Everyone just get rest. We'll heal fully tomorrow. How about that?"

There was a resounding, feeble "Okay". No one had much more energy for anything more than that.

* * *

Nya led the way down the stone corridor, shining her flashlight into the darkness. The door had led into a passageway with nothing to light it - it was lucky that Nya had a light on her, or who knows what they would have done.

"Everyone, no matter what, stay quiet," she advised. The adults nodded, even though she couldn't see it, but she knew they had affirmed her words anyways.

The tunnel was devoid of any sound but their footsteps, at first. As they progressed, though, they started hearing a voice. Nya gestured with her arm for everyone to slow down and listen.

At first no one could make out what the voice was saying, so Nya allowed the others to follow her quietly a little farther down the passage. As they got closer Nya could see a blue, mechanical light emanating from around a corner.

"No, daddy... of course not," said the voice. Nya hurriedly waved her arm again to make the others halt.

"No, daddy. No, daddy." The person was obviously speaking into a headset, because Nya's group couldn't hear who else was talking. "I know. Trust me on this one. Yes, daddy, it's right here. I've already downloaded most of the content. Most of it is junk, but some of it is useful information. Yes, daddy, I know." The person speaking was female. Her voice was silky, smooth, and calm.

Garmadon urged them forward with a hand. Nya agreed reluctantly; she wanted to get a look around the corner herself. She led them on her tiptoes, _painfully_ slowly, to the bend in the corridor, where the cold blue light shone from behind the corner.

"Could have guessed as much. Give me more credit, daddy, I've been doing this for years. Don't you trust me?"

The woman paused, listening to the reply. Nya could hear echoing typing sounds around the rock passage. Then the woman laughed. "Okay. Yeah, okay, whatever. I'm just wondering how William's doing up there."

Nya felt her stomach lurch. This woman was connected with William then. So it wasn't just a scam of one person's, it was a whole organization - it sounded like it was a small one, but an organization nonetheless. She crept toward the corner slowly. She was itching to just run across to it, but she needed to stay with the others, or else they would probably follow her lead and run, too.

"I wonder if the Samurai X picked up on our trail... or if she isn't as skilled as we think she is. What do you think, daddy?"

Nya reached the bend in the passage. She, Garmadon, Wu and Misako all flattened themselves against the wall. Nya peeked around the stone corner, her heart pounding in her ears.

"No, not really. I just wonder whether or not she beat him. What do you think?"

Nya saw a room, with a huge, glowing pale blue screen, and a dashboard with glowing green and blue buttons. A woman, silhouetted against the screen, sipped a mug of something that smelled like coffee, wearing a headset and leaning back in her swivel chair, relaxing. Everything was pitch black, only lit by the large screen and the multiple smaller screens around it.

Nya read the monitors. The big one read: _DestinysBountyharddrive.1: downloading... 94.35 percent. _This woman was downloading the _Destiny's Bounty_'s harddrive information! Nya looked behind her at the others - their faces were slightly lit up by the excess glow from the screen.

"We have to go in there!" she whispered, leaning in so that she could be quieter. "She's downloading the Destiny's Bounty's information - she'll know all our information and have control over the Samurai X suit, not to mention the ship itself!"

Their eyes all widened. "Hurry!" Garmadon hissed. "How far is the download?"

"Ninety-four percent," Nya said. "I'm going in."

"I wouldn't be surprised if she beat him. He's only an apprentice, after all... What? Nah. I've got other men on my list. No, no, he's nice enough..." The woman twirled a strand of black hair, still facing the screen. "Or he _was_ nice. Depends on whether or not 'X killed him."

_This woman is sick_, Nya decided. _The quicker I knock her out, the better. _

She put her foot into the doorway that led to the room, and retracted it almost instantly, yelping involuntarily with shock.

"That's fine, daddy..."

A series of complex designs on the floor lit up, spreading from the doorway all the way down the passageway, violet runes climbing up the walls, lighting up the pitch black ground, walls, and the ceiling. Everyone in the hallway gasped and jumped, looking around at the bright purple designs in shock.

"... I'm expecting her any minute now."

Nya felt dread in the pit of her stomach. It was a trap!

"Oh," the woman said. Nya watched her turn her swivel chair around to face the doorway, and her heart stopped. The woman gazed coolly right at her, smiling wickedly in the darkness - her eyes flashed in the cold light of the screen behind her, which read: _Download complete_.

"Here she is now."


	12. Takigyo

Takigyo

* * *

"It was a trap!" Garmadon breathed.

"Oh, it was a trap, alright," the woman said, standing up. Her smile was still spread across her face. "Come out where I can see you, Samurai. Don't be a coward."

Garmadon grabbed Nya's shoulder. "Don't go in there," he said. "You'll only walk farther into her trap."

To his relief, Nya stayed put; despite this, Garmadon could see the anger, reflected by the blue light from the screen, in her furrowed eyebrows.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"What do I want?" the woman said. She laughed. "Honey, I want a lot of things. And I'm getting them, bit by bit. But I don't want to talk to you. Come here, and no one's getting hurt."

"What if we don't?" Nya said. Her voice was strangely calm. "What if we ran away and hid, what then?

"You wouldn't get far enough to hide," the woman said contemplatively. She pulled her headset off and set it gently on the dark dashboard. "But if you did, we would find you anyways. Come on inside."

Garmadon glanced over his shoulder. They could run... but the chances of surviving seemed to be equal or less than fighting this woman, if what she said wasn't just bluff. She was obviously prepared to take all of them on, and seemed very sure of the outcome of any battle that was going to be fought. They were, in essence, trapped in a corner with no where to run.

There would have to be a fight.

"Nya," Garmadon said, in a hushed tone. "We're not getting out of this one without a fight."

"What do you suggest we do?" she whispered, not taking her eyes off the woman, who was pulling on a pair of fingerless gloves.

Garmadon touched Nya's shoulder. "We need to put this lady out of commission and destroy the computer," he said, pointing to the computer, which sat next to the dashboard. "Give me the stun grenades and a shuriken - I have an idea."

"Can we risk using the grenade?" Nya hissed back. "We have no idea what it does."

"But it's our best shot right now," Garmadon said.

"I say again," the woman said. She rubbed her hands together. "Hand yourself over, no one gets hurt."

The Samurai tentatively slid a grenade and a shuriken into Garmadon's hands. Garmadon clenched the grenade and pulled the pin out. "I don't think so," Nya said.

The woman grinned. "Are you sure?" she said. Then her voice went low - mesmerizingly low... something that entranced Garmadon and the others and made them doubt themselves.

"Hand yourself over," the woman said, in that voice that reminded Garmadon of liquid glass - flowing, clear, and hypnotizing. A purple design in the palm of her glove was glowing. "Come on. Step into the room."

Something tugged on Garmadon, making him want to do just as she said. But at the same time there was a feeling of foreboding ache - this had happened before.

This wasn't right.

Garmadon was jerked back to his senses. She was using magic on them; trying to make them go into the room. This magic had been used on him before, way back when - he could fight it.

But his brother, wife and friend couldn't. They went slack-jawed, irresistibly compelled to follow her simple command.

Garmadon's eyes widened as Nya stepped over the threshold. The woman's smile grew broader. No time for his idea - Garmadon had to act.

He let go of the lever on the stun grenade and threw it as hard and fast as he could at the woman, then shielded his eyes and covered his ears. A second after that, there was a loud _bang_.

Garmadon uncovered his ears - he gripped the shuriken in one hand, took aim, and threw it right at the computer. It hit and penetrated. The big screen flickered and died, shrouding them in near complete darkness. The only light now was Nya's flashlight and the glowing violet markings on the walls.

Nya and the others had collapsed, covering their eyes and ears. Garmadon snatched up the flashlight - everyone would be stunned for a period of at least nine seconds.

He quickly ran into the room, shining his flashlight on the woman that had crumpled to the ground. He suddenly felt woozy. Drat... was that stun grenade intoxicated with a sleeping gas or something? The former dark lord was sleepy enough that might have fallen over, but he willed himself to stay awake.

He needed to knock her unconscious. Quickest way to do that was to clap her temples. He shifted the flashlight underneath his arm so that he could see what he was doing - he didn't want to cause a fatality.

Then, quite suddenly, he stopped.

The flashlight shone on her face. Garmadon recognized the pale, pointed features of their adversary - the thick, black eyebrows and the plump lips. Was whatever was in that grenade messing with his senses, or did that look an awful lot like...

"_Eboni_?" he said incredulously.

She opened her eyes weakly - they were a stunning hazel.

That confirmed it. He had met this woman before - in the black market system years ago, when he himself had been less than good.

Eboni must have heard him, because she stirred. Garmadon regained his composure and went to knock her out, when her leg swept his feet out from beneath him, knocking him on his backside with a yelp.

Garmadon tried to catch his breath in the darkness, shining a light back onto the woman - she was already recovered from the effects of the stun grenade.

"Heeey," she said, raising her fists. "Lord Garmadon, right?"

"I'm surprised you recognized me," Garmadon said sarcastically, slightly breathless as he scrambled to a sitting position, backing slowly up from the woman. _So that's why I ascertained that form of magic,_ he realized. _Because she has used it on me before. _

"Me too," Eboni admitted. "You looked a lot different back then."

She shrugged, and swung her fist at him. It connected harder than Garmadon thought it would - it sent a spiral of pain whizzing through his jaw. He gasped and ducked to the side, raising his arm to block another oncoming blow.

Eboni clenched her fists. She was trying to regain control of herself - the grenade's effects hadn't worn off completely just yet. Garmadon saw this chance and jabbed her in the stomach and knocked her over. He stood up as quickly as he could with the sleeping gas numbing his movements, and ran to the others.

"Come on!" he urged. He shook Nya's shoulders, pulling her to her feet and grabbing his brother. "Get up, we have to run!"

They were rubbing their eyes and moaning - absolutely no connection between his words and their minds was made at all. They certainly looked about ready to fall asleep. Garmadon frantically pushed them a little down the passage. He leaned down and grabbed Misako's hand, dragging her up onto her feet.

"Come on!" he said desperately. Misako opened her eyes, looking up at him blearily.

Garmadon pointed down the hall, frantically attempting to communicate. "Run!" he said.

He gasped and pushed her - Misako started stumbling down the hall, towards the others, while Garmadon clutched his hand. Eboni had thrown something at him - a shuriken, probably - which cut his hand. He could feel the blood gushing from the wound, even though he couldn't see it.

He looked back to the room, where the flashlight on the ground illuminated what was going on to some degree. Eboni was on her feet, pushing buttons on the dashboard.

"You can run, Lord Garmadon," she said, turning around. She was weak. Sleepy. Now would be the time to strike... if she wasn't grinning like she had them cornered. "But you can't hide."

Garmadon gritted his teeth, then sprinted down the passageway.

"Come on!" he said, pushing on the others. "Run! We need to get out of here!" He grasped Misako's arm, pulling her along frantically.

"Stop!" Misako gasped. She pulled against his grip. Garmadon let go, bewildered - she fell back onto her hands and knees, feeling for something on the ground.

"What?" Garmadon said.

"My Vengestone powder," Misako said. "It dropped - I dropped it just now, help me find it." Her words were slurred, but intent.

"Your Vengestone _what_ -? Misako, we have no time for this!" Garmadon grabbed her and pulled. There was a scuffle, and then his wife was running alongside him with Nya and Wu, who had grasped something of what was happening; they were obviously still very much half-asleep, but they stumbled down the passage anyways.

"Got it," she said breathlessly.

"Run as fast as you can!" Garmadon urged. "We have to get to the Samurai X Suit -!"

He was cut off by an ear-splitting shriek. Misako moaned and covered her ears; Garmadon wanted desperately to do the same. He kept running, wondering if Nya had gotten hurt and cried out.

The scream came again; this time he was more fully able to identify it. Whatever it was, it wasn't Nya - it didn't even sound human. It was like a million voices screaming at the top of their lungs.

"What was that?" Wu said as they ran, grabbing his brother's hand so that he knew he was talking to him.

"No idea," Garmadon said, jerking his hand out of Wu's grip suddenly, feeling the wound sting when it came into contact with Wu's skin. "Just keep running. We have to get out of here."

The screaming persisted even when they reached the back door, wrenched it open, and ran back into the kitchen of the pizzeria. Garmadon led the way out the door, pulling them to the alley next to the restaurant - Nya clambered into the cockpit of the Samurai X Suit, and Garmadon helped his wife and brother climb up.

"Sorry about the grenade," he said. "It must have exuded some sort of sleeping gas. She was using some sort of magic on us... are you going to be able to stay awake to fly us out of here?"

"I'll be fine... you did what you had to," Nya said. She sounded exhausted. "Tell me you took the computer out, at least," she added, flicking a switch. The engine revved.

"I did. I probably destroyed the harddrive, though."

"That's fine. I have another, at the Walker's. All that mattered was destroying her chance of downloading that information."

Garmadon helped Misako sit upright. She seemed to be falling asleep. "Misako," he said. "Wake up. You need to hold on, we're going."

Misako clutched her vial of Vengestone powder to her chest, nodding, trying to stay conscious. She saw Garmadon's hand and gasped.

"Gom," she said. "You're hurt."

"I'm fine," Garmadon said, clenching his hand tighter, as if increasing the pain would make it go away. "Just hold on to the suit, we're getting out of here."

Misako nodded and grabbed the suit's outer armor.

"Let's get out of here, Nya," Sensei Wu said, leaning down from the shoulder to look into the helm of the Samurai.

Nya nodded, clapping a her helmet to her head. "Hold on tight," she said, her voice sounding masculine and filtered as it passed through the helmet's output. Garmadon and the others held tight, and the Samurai X Suit took off, straight into the sky.

* * *

Down, Room 1

7:48 PM

* * *

London's pen worked over the paper furiously.

_Take into account the encryption, the weapons, the guards. What could be in there? How badly are they wanting to protect that place? _

_Encryption works like a protection, only inverse. Block the good things, let in the bad. Then again, the protections don't seem to be working anymore... is it an alarm of some sort? A trap? What does it trigger, then? And for that matter, how does it penetrate a Shauto protection barrier?_

_How does Hidoi work?_

The pen in her hands paused.

"No," she whispered to herself, clenching her fist. "Find another way."

_Their actions speak for themselves; they're definitely hiding something powerful, or at least something that they're not ready to unleash. We need to be stronger before we go in... the task of teaching the Elemental Masters just got more urgent. We can't have any more interruptions. If things carry on like this, then we won't be strong enough to fight the Whisperers, or this mystery organization..._

_If things carry on like this, it could mean the end of the world. _

She leaned back in her chair, clicking her pen and staring at the paper on her lamplit desk. Her bright blue eyes slid over her scrawled handwriting and Shauto symbols that had been hastily drawn beneath them.

_What would Nikolai do?_ she thought. _What would he do here in this situation? Come on, woman, think. _

There was a light tap on the door. "Mother?" came a voice - one London thought that she would never have heard again, up until a day ago.

She got up from her chair so that she could answer the door. "Cole," she said, when she opened it and found him on the other side. "What is it?"

Cole looked surprised. "You're up," he said. "But your ankle - doesn't it hurt?"

London looked down at her foot. "Oh, it's just a little sore," she said. "Doesn't hurt too badly. It's been a few hours since the healing. I'm alright to walk around. Why did you come to call?"

"It will be time to eat in about five minutes," Cole said, gazing at his mother as if she was a little crazy. "Zane made dinner."

"Ah," London said. "Thanks. I'll be there in that time... How's _your_ wound?"

"Better," Cole said. "Amilia healed it. It's just raw skin now. Shauto is amazing, though - I can't wait to start learning it."

"That's good," London said.

Cole grinned. London smiled back, and there was an awkward silence.

To fill it, London reached forward and brushed a few strands of his black hair from his face. "Why do you wear your hair like that?" she asked suddenly, tucking it behind his ear. "It makes it hard for me to see your eyes."

Cole shrugged. "I dunno," he said. "I like it, I guess."

London laughed. "Your father wore his hair almost exactly the same way, when he was your age," she said. "Only his was shorter."

"I like it long," Cole said stubbornly.

"That's fine," London agreed. "It's fine the way it is." She worked her fingers through it, looking into his brown eyes lovingly. Cole glanced away, looking embarrassed. Ha. She could see their relationship already.

"What are you working on?" he asked after a moment, looking over her shoulder into her room. London sighed, and let her hands drop from his silky hair.

"Oh... just thinking, I guess," she said. "Thinking onto paper. Want to come in?"

Cole nodded, and London let him through the door. His son looked around at the room, seeming surprised and thrilled by its contents.

"It's not very tidy," London admitted. "Sorry. It's hard for my to clean up my ideas, though."

"I get that," Cole said. "Wow, mom... this is _really_ cool."

There was a bed pushed up against the wall - mahogany frame, with pale green, neatly folded covers. It seemed to be the only neat thing in the room. The rest of it was littered with papers, pens, books, sheets of metal, screwdrivers, swords, scrap parts, and filing cabinets. From the ceiling hung model planes, London's own designs, and tacked to the walls were blueprints of them, ranging from light sketches to full-blown paintings. Also on the walls, there were painted large Shauto symbols, with notes all around them in marker, and sticky notes stuck to those. There were two desks, one piled high with arithmetic books, folded papers, photographs, and journals; the other was a workbench with three different toolboxes sitting on top of it, cluttered with screws, nails, blueprints, scrap metal and measuring instruments. The floor was blanketed in crumpled up papers despite the four garbage cans that Cole could see.

The Ninja of Earth stared around at it. "You're an inventor?" he said breathlessly.

"Uh, yes," London said, following his gaze to the workbench. "I am, actually."

"That's right, December told me that you designed the Kahgei," Cole said.

London nodded. "It's not a very good jet," she said, walking past him. She reached up and touched one of the hanging wooden planes, making it start to turn in circles. "One of my lesser models, actually. But it works, and we don't have the funds to refurbish it _again_ or build a new one, so we use it. It's one of the only jets we have that doesn't need a land takeoff."

"Wow," Cole said. "I never knew you did any of this."

London turned around, giving a shy smile. "Well... I do," she said.

"What are you working on now?" her son asked, walking over to the workbench and leaning over the blueprints there. He switched on the work lamp so he could read them.

"Oh, just another jet," London said, coming over to stand beside him.

Cole inspected her drawings. "Wow," he said again. "What are you calling it?"

"The _Vorobey_," London said.

"That looks really cool," Cole said.

"Want to see it?"

The Master of Earth looked up at her. "You've built it already?"

"Well, no. I'm working on it, though. It's in my closet."

"It's in your _closet_?" Cole repeated. London led him over to the closet door, which was covered in even more papers, and opened it, bidding him step inside.

Cole let out a breathless laugh. "Oh, no way," he murmured.

There was a half-built, patchwork jet sitting inside her enormous closet. It was huge, with wings extending to either side - it was made entirely of scrap parts.

"Gahiji's helping me," London admitted, when Cole stepped forward to run his hand along it.

"You're building a jet in your closet," Cole said. He turned around. London felt pride blossom in her chest - his eyes were alight with excitement and wonder. "How cool can a mom get?"

London shrugged, not sure what to say. "I'm just doing my job," she said slowly.

Cole looked back to the jet, murmuring to himself wonderously. London looked at her feet, biting her lip to keep from smiling, then watched Cole walk along the length of the jet, touching his finger to the metal, admiring each bolt with amazement and bewilderment.

He turned around. His face wasn't excited anymore.

"So," he said. "This is what you've been doing for fourteen years, then?"

Aha.

London hesitated. "Yes," she said, finally. "I've dedicated myself to Shauto."

Cole gazed at her evenly. London found it hard to gaze back.

"You know what," Cole said. "I think that you could have done better than what you _did_ do. But I think that saving the world is a good excuse for leaving us."

London released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Thanks," she said. "Yes, I could have done it better."

"Is dad really in that much danger?" Cole asked, returning to her side. London nodded.

"He really is," London said. "If this organization that we just fought a few hours ago found out about him, he'd be placed in great danger of death. I can't risk losing him."

She took his hand and rubbed her thumb along his fingers. Cole joined her in staring at the half-finished jet.

"So I can't tell him you're alive?" he said.

"No," London said. Her tone was heavy, and her eyes were full of regret.

Cole nodded slowly. "Is there ever going to be a time when I can?"

"I don't know, son. I don't know."

"He misses you."

London squeezed Cole's hand. They stared at the _Vorobey_ in silence.

"It's time to eat," Cole said, after a pause.

"Right," London said. "Let's go."

* * *

Down, Sick Bay

9:30 PM

* * *

"Kai... come on, wake up."

He opened his eyes. Everything was dark. Had he even opened them?

Then a hand rested on his forehead, and he jumped. "Shh," a voice said. "Don't worry. You're fine. Kai, can you hear me?"

"Amilia," Kai said breathlessly. He heard her hushed tones fade in and out of his mind... it took a minute for him to comprehend them.

"Kai, come on. How do you feel?"

"What - the Whisperers -?"

"Shhh, they're gone. Come on, sit up, sit up."

Kai leaned on Amilia as he pulled himself to a sitting position on the table. He felt dizzy with the pain in his arm. Not having any light to see with made him terrified. "Why does my arm hurt so much?" he murmured.

"It's been cut. Stay there, I'm going to heal it." Amilia let go of him. Kai grabbed for her hand in the dark, found it wasn't there, and promptly collapsed onto his back.

Amilia helped him sit up again. "How do you feel?" she asked again. This time she let Kai hold onto her arm for support.

"The Whisperers," he said. "They were... they were all..."

"They're gone, Kai. You're safe."

"Where is my team?"

"Sleeping, it's late."

Kai tensed up, feeling fear come over him - fear? Yes, fear. _Real_ fear. "Where is my team?" he demanded hoarsely, losing his shaky composure. "Tell me where my team is!"

He jumped and fell silent when someone flicked on a flashlight. It cast a yellow light on him. There was a boy standing behind it.

"Shhh," Azamat said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He turned the flashlight, illuminating the rest of the room - by its light, Kai could see that he was in an infirmary, beside his sleeping teammates. "They're sleeping, Kai. Here, take the flashlight."

He handed the Master of Fire the light. Kai took it with shaky hands, relishing the feeling of control it gave him. He could see now that Amilia was dumping the contents of a vial on her hands... he objected immediately.

"What is that?" he said, pointing to the liquid in her hands. "What is that, poison? Tranquilizer? What are you going to do to me?"

Azamat touched his hand, so that Kai would look at him. "Hey," he said. "You're gonna be okay. Take a deep breath. Come on, take a breath."

"What are you going to do?" Kai said again, desperately.

"Take a deep breath. Come on."

Kai hesitated, then both he and Azamat breathed in.

"Hold it," Azamat said.

Kai held it for five seconds until Azamat said, "breathe out slowly." Then he breathed out. "Now do it again," Azamat said, holding Kai's hand tightly.

Kai took a deep breath, held it, and breathed out slowly. It helped a little. Not much though. He mind still felt like a mess of chaotic confusion.

"You're safe, Kai," Amilia said softly.

Both twins looked at him, reassuring smiles on their faces. Safe. The word made him relax... but there was still an unsettling feeling in his stomach. He was afraid of everything - part of him was trying to fight, part of him was freaking out, and part of him was scrambling to recover the power of rational thought. What was this? Why couldn't he control himself?

"Amilia?" he said. With the flashlight, he could see that she was drawing something on his bandaged arm with the peppermint goop. He wanted to smack her hand away, but resisted the crazy temptation.

"Yes, Kai?" she said, looking at him attentively.

"Why do I feel lightheaded still?" he asked. His voice shook. "I feel like the Whisperers are still right here... I know I should be able to trust you, but I can't! I feel like they can find me, I feel like something's going to hurt me, or kill me, or... Am I going crazy?"

Azamat chuckled, amused. Amilia glared at him, then turned back to Kai, who looked frightened by Azamat's laughter. "No, you're not going crazy, Kai," she said. "Trust me."

"Why do I feel it, then? I shouldn't. I have to learn Shauto. I have to contact Nya. She hasn't answered my calls. I have to -"

"Settle down," Amilia said. She caught his chin and looked into his eyes. Kai was surprised by this, but didn't pull his head away - he was too afraid.

"Look," she said. "You're going to be okay. Trust me. We're going to get you healed, and then we're going to work on your mind. This confusion and panic that you're feeling is temporary - just an aftereffect of the Whisperer's spell. You're not going crazy."

"The Whisperer's spell?" Kai repeated, his eyes wide with fear.

"It's okay. It happens to inexperienced Shautei all the time, don't worry."

"Shautei?"

"Someone who uses Shauto. Don't worry, we have things that will help; you'll be back in control in a day or two." Then she took her hand away from his face and pressed on his arm lightly, covering whatever she had drawn. Kai gasped.

"Sorry," she said, a little too late. "This might sting... _Zhit'_, _rebenok_, _i_ _zlo_ _ischeznet_."

Kai felt another rush of fear, but it was quickly replaced by a rush of something else - it ruffled his hair and brought something of a feeling of peace to him. He didn't notice that his arm had begun to glow until the light died down.

"There," Amilia said softly, after a moment. She unwrapped the wound. Kai shined his light on it - there was no cut anymore. "You're healed. How do you feel now?"

Kai flexed his arm. "It doesn't hurt," he admitted. Amilia grabbed a wet cloth from next to him, and rubbed it on the raw skin, clearing it of any excess blood.

Azamat gave a small chuckle. "Come on, buddy," he said. "Let's go start your therapy."

The word made Kai jump. "Therapy?" he repeated. _Therapy_ _is_ _for_ _crazy_ _people._

"Yeah. Here, grab onto me." Azamat offered his hand. "Have you heard of Takigyo?"

"No," Kai said. He didn't take Azamat's hand.

Azamat grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet anyways. He might have been young, but he was easily as strong as Kai was himself. The Ninja of Fire had a hard time resisting him.

"Well, it's not practiced very much nowadays, but since you're a ninja I thought you'd know," Azamat said. "It's a meditation technique. You're going to do a session of Takigyo every four hours starting tomorrow. We're just going to start with one tonight, then you'll go to bed. How does that sound?"

Kai just nodded. Amilia took his other hand, ignoring his feeble resistance, and the twins helped him out of the infirmary and down the hall. Kai swallowed. _You told me I'm not crazy. Why are you putting me in therapy? _

"This is the Takigyo garden," Amilia said, stopping at the end of the hall and pointing. The door she pointed to was right next to the Mental Training Room. "Come on," she added, opening the door and pulling him gently inside.

Kai looked around, blinking furiously... Had he just stepped into a forest? There was a pool of water in the center, surrounded by a forest of eastern vegetation. Kai looked up - there was a huge waterfall that pounded down into the water at an alarming speed, white and majestic. He could hear birds singing.

"This is a simulation of a real Takigyo area," Amilia said. "It is as authentic as possible, with real vegetation and water that comes straight from the Takigyo area it was based off of, which is actually near Yuj's Cliff. In my opinion, it works just as well as the one there."

Kai forced himself to think rationally. "H-how does this Takigyo work... exactly?" he asked, fearing the worse. Were they going to drown him? Were there dangerous predators in the forest that they would set on him?

"It's actually pretty simple," Amilia said. She pointed to the waterfall. "See that waterfall? You're just going to stand beneath it for an hour and let it crash down on your back. Then you'll get out and go to bed."

Kai was bewildered. "How is that meditation?"

"It clears your mind of all thought," Azamat answered. "It's cold, and a little painful, but worth it, trust me. You'll feel better just after one session. Come on, take off your shirt and we'll start."

Azamat took off his own shirt and stepped down into the water, wading out to waist height - which wasn't too far from the edge - and reached his hand out to Kai. "Come on," he said.

Kai shook his head. "I-I don't think I want to start," he said.

Amilia placed her hand on his back. "It's fine," she said. "Don't worry, it's not harmful at all."

_It's not harmful at all. _Those words set alarms ringing in Kai's head. He found it very hard to trust this girl... the one who was slowly removing his shirt.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Kai said, panicking. He tried to shove her hands off, but she simply let go and then grabbed his shirt again.

"Do you need help?" she said.

"N-no," Kai said. Why did she think he needed help taking off his shirt? "I'm not crazy," he blurted suddenly, as if that was what Amilia had been thinking.

"Of course not," Amilia said. "You just seemed to be having trouble with it is all."

Kai's face flushed, and he stepped away, making Amilia let go. He quickly pulled off his shirt and set it down on the ground next to the pool.

"Come on," Azamat urged, gesturing for Kai to get into the water.

Kai hesitated, then grabbed the teenager's outstretched hand and stuck his feet into the water. He gasped. That was cold!

Azamat chuckled. "Yeah, it's kind of freezing," he said. "That's part of the meditation, though. Come on, you have to get all the way in."

Kai's heart sank. "All the way?" he repeated. His voice shook. Was that the Whisperer's spell that was making him feel so afraid?

"Come on, scaredy-cat," Azamat said. "It's not too bad once you get used to it."

Kai gingerly dipped himself farther into the water, wincing at how cold it was. It soaked his pants. "Are you sure I'm not going to go into shock or something?" he said, glancing into the pool. The water was so clear that he could see the pebbles in the bottom of it.

"Trust me," Azamat said. "The key is to go in slow and steady, so you can get used to the temperature bit by bit. I've done this many times myself - both Amilia and I have been under the spell before."

He pulled Kai deeper into the water. Kai lost his balance, yelped and tumbled - he fell straight into the pool, splashing both Azamat and Amilia.

"Ahh!" Amilia said. She jumped backwards from the edge of the pool, looking offended.

Azamat stood for a second, stunned, then grabbed Kai and pulled him up and out of the water hastily.

Kai gasped when he came up. Watching him struggle for breath, trying to wipe the water out of his eyes with his rigid, shuddering arms, his wet hair flat against his head - it was almost comical. Azamat laughed, even though he was now drenched himself.

"So much for bit by bit," he said, chuckling and letting Kai lean against him for support.

"That's cold," Kai said, teeth chattering. "Cold, cold, cold, cold, _cold_."

Azamat sighed. "This is going to go well," he said sarcastically.

* * *

**A/N: I recently discovered that I am what's called a "pant-ster". For those of you unacquainted with the term it means I write by the seat of my pants. I don't plot. Or, at least, I have a rough outline. I just don't know what I'm doing, really. The way I have been updating (as I go) poses a real problem for me, as a "pantster" who doesn't know what I'm doing, so I am making a declaration.**

**I'm going to go back and change whatever the heck I want throughout the book. I'll tell you if I make a big change, like change the name of a character or something stupid like that, but you guys are basically reading a published rough draft. This is the first time I've sat down to write a novel, I should be allowed to make changes to it... and I will. **

**Just letting you know that's what I'll be doing. Don't stop reading though! Please review if you liked this chapter, tell me what part was your favorite and what you didn't like, I really enjoy hearing from everyone! I need as much support as I can get. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	13. Completely Mental

Completely Mental

* * *

Down, Cafeteria

7:20 AM

* * *

Jay and the others were on edge. They pretended not to be. But a teammate whose whole demeanor has changed, going from an impulsive yet loyal warrior to a fragile teenager was hard for them to accept - and even harder for _Kai_ to accept.

Amilia and Azamat had explained to them that Kai's state of mind had been changed because of the Whisperer's song, and that he was in Takigyo therapy. He was still Kai, but his way of looking at things had been changed, and he would be easily angered and scared. They also explained that Kai would be touchy about the subject, so not to bring it up, and also to be cautious of provoking him or hurting his feelings - he would be still slightly unstable until the next day, when he had had a few more therapy sessions.

Then Amilia and Azamat told them pointedly that he wasn't crazy, and _not_ to tell Kai or even suggest that he might be.

Because he wasn't.

Breakfast was awkward. The twins had taken the Ninja aside to explain all this before Kai came down to the cafeteria, so the when he did appear, the Ninja didn't question his nervous glances this way and that, and the apprehensive glint in his eyes.

It was easy to forget that he was still Kai and that he was not crazy.

Jay tried his best to act normally with the Ninja of Fire sitting next to him, watching him eat with nervous interest. It was unnerving, to say the least. It turned out that Kai was very attentive when he was crazy; he observed the way that Jay held the spoon, scooped up his cereal, and transferred it from the bowl to his mouth, as if Jay might suddenly turn and throw the bowl directly at him.

The Ninja of Lightning attempted to ignore this irregularity, glancing at Kai's cereal, which was untouched. Had been for about five minutes.

"... Aren't you going to eat, Kai?" Jay asked tentatively.

Kai jumped. He looked at his cereal; his eyes seemed to swell with distrust.

"No," he said finally.

Jay gave a nervous laugh. "Do you think it's poisoned or something? It's just cereal."

Kai looked sheepish - Jay realized, with a hint of guilt, that was exactly what Kai had thought. Then Kai turned to his cereal again and hesitantly took a few bites.

Jay drew in a deep breath and kept eating his own food.

"So, what are we doing today?" Zane was asking Amilia and Azamat. The Ninja of Ice sat across from Jay, and Amilia sat next to Zane. "My guess would be training in the MTR, right?"

Amilia nodded. "That's right," she confirmed. "December is usually in charge of that, but she's still wounded, so London will be instructing instead."

Azamat, who sat on Jay's other side, gave a short laugh. "Oh, man, I don't envy you guys," he said. "Mental training is the hardest bit of learning Shauto; I'm sure glad I don't have to sit through _that_ again. If you're going in the MTR, you'd better be prepared to dissect yourself and kiss your sanity goodbye. You might could even say that you go completely _mental_."

Jay gave a short laugh. Cole and Zane across the table just rolled their eyes.

"Oh, it's not _that_ bad," Amilia cut in hastily. "You only feel like you've gone crazy for the first hour or two after you get out. Dissecting yourself is necessary, and once you do, you feel amazing. Mental Training is one of the most enjoyable parts of Shauto."

Azamat scoffed. "Yeah, for you, maybe," he said. "The MTR sessions are like getting a whole bag's worth of marshmallows stuffed into your stomach in less than a minute and not being allowed to throw up afterwards."

Jay snickered again, and this time the other Ninja laughed, too. Except for Kai, who looked lost.

"Hey, you laugh, but I'm deadly serious," Azamat objected.

Their laughter faded when they realized that Azamat really was, quite actually, deadly serious.

The door opened, and London entered, followed closely by Gahiji. They were supporting December between them.

"Well, hey, there's frosty-girl," Azamat said, beaming at her. December gave him a poisonous look as her brother and London helped her get a seat at the edge of the table, next to Lloyd and Cole.

"How are you?" Amilia asked, leaning over the table to look at her.

December shrugged. "Fine," she said. "Better now that I'm healed." Her burns were supposedly gone now, but Jay didn't know because the skin was still bandaged - probably because it was tender. Jay had kept his bandages on, too, after Gahiji had healed his ankle a half hour before then.

"Sorry I didn't get down here sooner," London said, letting December go when the Amidian had her balance. "I would have made breakfast."

"That's fine," Jay said. "We made do with these Sparkly Sugar Lump thingies... what are they called?" He grabbed the cereal box and looked it over. "Sparkie's Super Sugar Puffs."

London groaned. "Now I _really_ regret not making breakfast. Everyone at least have a handful of nuts or _something_ nutritious, please."

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Jay insisted. He read the ingredients out loud. "It's only got... uh... sugar, corn syrup, wheat, dextrose, honey, salt, and artificial flavoring." Then he frowned. "Umm... okay, nevermind, this cereal is fifty-five point seventeen percent sugar."

There was a collective moan. Kai quietly shoved his bowl of cereal away from him.

"I blame Azamat," Amilia said very frankly. She seemed quite unbothered by it - Jay would have, too, if he'd been eating vanilla yogurt and nuts. "And I suggest that next time we need more food, we not hand over a hundred bucks and the grocery list to the unapologetic sugarholic."

"Hey, you send me out to do the grocery shopping you're going to have what I buy," Azamat said, smiling _quite_ unapologetically. "And I bought breakfast cereal, anyway, didn't I? You shouldn't be complaining, it's like the third least sugary cereal in the entire section."

"Out of three, probably," Amilia muttered.

"I'll make you some waffles, how about," London said to December and Gahiji. "I'm fairly certain neither of you want breakfast that is half sugar."

"Thanks," December said, both Amidians nodding. London stood up to go fix them breakfast.

Jay looked back to his bowl of Sparkie's Super Sugar Puffs and suddenly didn't feel great about eating them. He copied Kai and pushed the cereal away.

He caught the eye of the Ninja of Fire and gave him a half-hearted smile. Kai looked away.

Jay couldn't stand Kai being so unresponsive. So he tried to spark conversation. "How do you think it'll be to learn Shauto?" he said.

It took Kai a moment to realize that Jay was talking to him. "Oh... I dunno," he said, slowly. "Hard, probably."

"Sounds like," Jay said. He grimaced. "I'm not looking forward to marshmallows crammed into my stomach, how about you?"

"Not really, no." Kai gave a small smile.

Jay was surprised to find that Kai wasn't actually crazy. At least, he didn't _sound_ crazy when he talked, if you could tell that someone was crazy by listening to their voice.

"I just hope that we won't have another run-in with a Whisperer anytime soon," Jay said. "Two encounters within twelve hours is more than enough, don't you think?"

Kai nodded.

The conversation died there. Jay awkwardly looked around at his chatting teammates, scratching at a nick in the wood of the tabletop. Kai hugged himself and looked around, too. He looked nervous, but at the same time, frustrated.

"I can't contact Nya," he said finally. Jay looked at him, surprised at the suddenness of it.

"What?"

"The Destiny's Bounty isn't picking up, and neither is her cell phone. I haven't been able to get a hold of her." He bit his nails - an uncharacteristic action. "At best, she'll be worried sick... but I can't shake the feeling that something terrible has happened to her and Sensei while we've been gone."

Suddenly Jay was worried, too. But he pretended to be at ease, for Kai's sake. "Why would you think that?" he said.

Kai shook his head. "Think, Jay. That Whisperer, the one that ambushed us while we were coming home the other night; it can't have just stumbled on us randomly. It had to have known who we are. It had to have come after us for a reason."

"Kai, December says that it's not likely, remember? She thinks that it stumbled on us by chance."

"Gahiji thinks it didn't," Kai countered. Jay opened his mouth to retort, but couldn't find anything to say.

Kai rocked back and forth in his seat. "If that Whisperer came after us, it had to have been to the Destiny's Bounty already. It probably went there first, looking for us, but didn't find us... it probably killed Nya and Sensei and the Garmadons."

Kai was shaking now. Jay, alarmed, tried to interrupt him, but Kai just kept gushing - fear and grief made his voice tremble. "She probably tried to fight it, but she didn't know how. It probably slit her throat and killed her within seconds - probably ate her, then it killed Sensei and Garmadon and Misako and ate _them_, too, and then it came, ready to eat _us_ -"

A hand on Kai's back cut him off, and both the Ninja of Fire and Ninja of Lightning looked up, startled. London rubbed Kai's back.

"Hey," she said, crouching down next to Kai, still rubbing the back of his neck soothingly. Jay scooted backwards to let her in between them.

"I'm not crazy," Kai blurted. His voice had a desperate note in it.

Jay heard him and suddenly pitied his friend. It wasn't his fault for being anxious and scared. That was part of the spell that the Whisperer's "song" had put on him.

"Of course not," London said. "I was just going to say it's time for your next Takigyo session."

London looked at Azamat over Jay's shoulder. The teenager was already looking back; everyone was looking. "Will you go help Kai?" she said.

Azamat nodded. He stood up and came over, motioning for Kai to follow.

It made Kai visibly angry that people were staring. He was blushing, too. Jay felt bad for him as he stood up and left the room with Azamat, looking embarrassed, frustrated, and still slightly like he was going to cry.

Kai didn't really believe his paper-thin, anxiety-induced theory that Nya and the others were dead... did he?

There was silence. Jay crossed his arms, troubled.

"Jay, what happened?" Zane said. He sounded worried.

"Kai can't get a hold of Nya," Jay said. "But he thinks that somehow she's dead, and he was freaking out because of it."

The thought passed through all the Ninja's minds at the same time.

_Kai's_ _gone_ _crazy_.

Everyone sheepishly finished their food with hardly another word spoken.

* * *

Badlands, the sky

4:15, the day before

* * *

"Where are we going?" Garmadon shouted to Nya over the rushing wind. He held on tightly to the Samurai's suit, which was still flying fast and strong out towards the Badlands, and his wife, who had ended up falling asleep after all. He himself felt like he would pass out at any moment, but he was too thoughtful to sleep. Wu was obviously having trouble staying awake, too; he had already splashed himself with tea to keep himself from passing out twice.

Garmadon didn't even try to figure out where his brother kept that teapot.

"The Walkers'," Nya said simply. She didn't need to yell because her voice, when it passed through her helmet's filters, was much louder.

"_Who_?"

"Jay's parents."

"Why?"

"They're keeping the copy of the hard drive safe for me. We need to keep this one safe, no matter what - if this woman gets her hands on it, she'll have control over the Samurai X Suit, Destiny's Bounty, everything... By the way, do you know her?"

Garmadon gritted his teeth, suppressing an eye-roll. "Yes," he yelled finally. "I do."

"Who is she?"

"Her name is Eboni. She's the daughter of the owner of an extremely successful black market enterprise. She's a skilled fighter and hacker, uses some form of voodoo magic, and she's a thief. Last I checked she was also a prostitute."

"A prostitute?" Nya repeated. She paused. "How, exactly, do you know her?"

"Don't even go there. I had dealings with her father."

"What's her last name?" Nya asked.

"I can't remember," Garmadon said. He thought for a moment. "It might have been Wyche."

Nya didn't respond. She was probably thinking.

Garmadon squinted at the horizon. All he could see was a sea of sand. "Where do these Walkers live, anyways?" he asked.

"In a Junkyard."

"Wh - a _Junkyard_?"

"Yeeeeah."

"Wait. Jay was raised in a Junkyard, then...?"

"Yep."

Garmadon tried to find a smidgen of surprise at this. But it made too much sense. "So how far away is it?"

"We're already here... look down."

He did. Heights didn't normally bother him, but they were a good mile or two off the ground, and the black speck that was seemingly worlds away only proved just how dangerously high they were.

Wu looked down, too, and he immediately clutched the suit tighter - Garmadon copied him. "I don't think Ninjagians were ever meant to be this high in the air," the Sensei said to his brother. Garmadon could see the greenish hue of his face. "No, I'm sure that our father didn't intend Ninjagians to get this high."

"Sure beats the heck out of staying in that pizzeria with Eboni," Garmadon shouted back.

"I'm not so sure," Sensei Wu said.

"I'll make our descent gradual," Nya said. Garmadon didn't know if she had heard their conversation, but was glad that she was slow about making the black speck of Junkyard beneath them bigger.

The sand around them blew up in their faces from the intense wind as they neared the ground, making Garmadon and Wu squeeze their eyes shut. Nya cut the power of the suit's jets when they were a few inches above the sand, and they landed, kicking up another cloud of sand and dust with the impact.

Garmadon blinked furiously, eyes watering, trying to get the sand out of his eyelashes.

"We're here," Nya said. She pulled a lever, and the cockpit opened, allowing her to jump out of the suit onto the sand. When she landed, she looked back up, undoing her helmet's lock and pulling it off her head. "Need help getting down?" she said.

Garmadon waved a dismissive hand and braced his legs against the suit's shoulder armor, adjusting Misako in his grip - he awkwardly slung her over his shoulder, one arm around her legs and the other on her back to keep her from sliding off. Then he took a deep breath and slid off the suit, landing hard on the ground, but managing to keep both his balance and keep Misako in his arms.

Wu followed quickly after, a little more gracefully. Nya parted her gauntlet and shoulder guard to press the red jewel on her bracelet; the suit closed up, returning to an inconspicuously small box.

Garmadon faced the Junkyard - the place was strung with lights, and had a large sign with the words "Ed and Edna's Scrap and Junk" on it... Why would Nya leave the other hard drive with these people?

"Let's go," Sensei Wu said. "We don't have time to waste."

The four of them walked the short distance from the Samurai X Suit to the Junkyard. Halfway through their short stroll, two people, a man and a woman, emerged from the lonely heap of junk, waving their arms wide.

"Hey!" said one. He was wearing oil-stained overalls. "We saw your machine come out of the sky there - didya need some help?"

Nya and Wu waved back. "Mr. Walker!" she shouted. "It's Nya!"

"Nya?" The couple ran together through the sand to the four of them, faces alight with joy.

The elderly woman spoke, grabbing Nya's hand and clasping it tightly. "Oh, Nya, dear, how are you?" she said, smiling brightly. "You're just as cute as I last saw you - how have things been going? How is Jay?"

"Hello, Mrs. Walker," Nya said, smiling back, though her grin was weary and pained.

"Oh, just call me Edna."

After furiously shaking Sensei Wu's hand, the man came up to Garmadon and held out his hand to shake - Garmadon took it awkwardly, trying to keep Misako from falling out of his arms. "You must be... Lord Garmadon, then?" he said.

"Just Garmadon," he said, forcing a smile and trying not to fall over from the force of the man's shake.

"Well, hey! I'm Ed Walker, Jay's father. So, then, what are you all doing way out here, and where is Jay and the others? There isn't a crisis, is there? And, uh, who is that?" He pointed at Misako, who was slowly coming to.

"My wife," Garmadon said quickly. It was hard to even answer this couple's questions for how fast they asked them.

"What's happened to her?" Edna said, clapping her hands to her mouth in shock. "Why is she unconscious? She's not hurt, is she? Oh, come inside, I'm sure something terrible has happened; you all look dead tired. But where in the world are the Ninja?"

"Just come on," Ed added. "We don't have much to offer ya all, but I guess you're already desperate if you'd come here. Where are the others? What happened? Is anyone hurt - are Jay and the others captured? Why did you come all the way out here? What was that flying machine - can I look at it, ahh, maybe dismantle it? Has something happened to the Destiny's Bounty?"

Garmadon just shrugged over and over again, unable to squeeze a word in. He could see where Jay got his fast-talking mouth. Ed and Edna herded them into the Junkyard, pulling them along and asking them all sorts of questions.

They came into a trailer car parked just inside the Junkyard's gates. Garmadon looked around - it was fairly nice, for a Junkyard. There was a couch, where Garmadon set Misako, and a table and chairs, a tiny kitchen, television, and room attached to the car - it was probably the bedroom.

Ed and Edna pulled chairs up for them. They accepted the glasses of water that Edna gave them graciously, as well as the apples - they hadn't eaten since breakfast.

"Tell us what's happened," Ed said urgently. "Please - is it about our son? An enemy? A crisis? Problem? What's going on? How can we help?"

Nya looked at the Sensei, who nodded his head.

Garmadon was caught off guard by Edna tapping his shoulder.

"What should I do about your wife?" she said, nodding to Misako, who still slept soundly on the couch. Garmadon shook his head - Edna saw his hand and gasped. "Lord Garmadon, you're wounded!" she said.

"It's just Garmadon now," he said, covering his cut hand with his robe. "And it's nothing."

"Nonsense - let me get the first aid kit. Come on, we need to clean it."

"But -"

Garmadon concealed an eye roll and wordlessly let Edna lead him over to the sink. These people were relentless. It was obvious they meant well, but it was hard to stay patient with them.

"What happened?" Edna said quietly, while Nya was explaining everything. She rolled up his sleeve and turned on the faucet. "How did you get cut, I mean?"

Garmadon shrugged. "I don't know exactly. Probably a shuriken."

Edna gasped. "Who was throwing shurikens?" she said, sounding genuinely shocked.

"Eboni - the woman we were fighting."

"Eboni?" Edna paused, then said, "That's quite dangerous - she could have killed someone!"

_Well_, _yeah_, Garmadon thought. _Goodness_, _this_ _woman_ _is_ _surprised_ _by_ _everything_. "She was trying to take Nya - and us, too, I guess - hostage, but we escaped, so she threw something at me and it cut me. It's fine -"

"How old was she?"

Garmadon paused, taken aback by the question. "Uh... twenty-four, I'd guess," he said, counting the years.

"She should know better than to throw things at people! Show people a little more respect, even if you _are_ taking them hostage... My goodness, young people get crazier every decade." Edna wetted a washcloth and dabbed Garmadon's wound. Garmadon winced.

"Can't argue with that," Garmadon muttered. _It's_ _pointless_ _to_ _try_ _and_ _have_ _an_ _intelligent_ _conversation_, he thought. The couple seemed to lack any common sense, other than being helpful.

"How did you start fighting with her?"

"Listen to Nya," Garmadon said. He didn't want to try to have to explain it, especially since Kai's sister was already doing so. Edna went silent, listening to Nya talk from the table.

She dried Garmadon's cut and applied anti-infectant, then bandaged it, wrapping the white cloth around his wrist. "There," she said softly. "What about your wife?"

"I'll wake her up," Garmadon said. "Thanks."

"Are you sure? I could -"

"I can do it, thanks," Garmadon said flatly. Edna nodded, unperturbed by his annoyed tone, and went to sit down at the table and listen to Nya's story.

Garmadon walked past them to the couch, grabbing his glass of water from off the table as he went. He knelt down next to Misako and shook her shoulder gently. "Misako," he whispered. "Misako, wake up."

Misako's eyes fluttered. Garmadon gazed at her, still shaking her.

"Gom?" she murmured.

Garmadon helped her sit up straight and gave her the glass of water. "Hi," he said, sitting beside her. Misako rubbed her eyes and sipped the water.

"Where are we?" she asked wearily.

"We're at Jay's parents'," Garmadon said. "Nya's explaining things to them... we're going to get the copy of the hard drive and probably stay here for a few days." He cringed at the thought. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Misako said. "Why did I fall asleep?"

"There was some sort of sleeping gas in the grenade. It's a miracle that we didn't all pass out."

Misako paused. "Just me?"

Garmadon nodded. Misako lifted a hand to her head and tucked her hair back behind her ear, sighing.

"What about you?" she said softly. "You cut yourself."

"I'm fine," Garmadon said, showing her the bandaged cut. "It was nothing."

Misako sighed again. She looked up and caught her husband's eye - he smiled, and she smiled back.

"What are we going to do about the Ninja?" she said suddenly. "We don't know what's happened to them."

Garmadon shook his head. He looked over her shoulder out the window, which was half-hidden by blinds. "I don't know... Eboni didn't mention them. If she was holding them hostage, then she would have tried to use that as a weapon. No, the fact that she was trying to take Nya captive says that she does not have any connection to them, yet. She may have been trying to use Nya as blackmail, or a weapon against them..." Garmadon shrugged. "I just don't know."

"We'll have to find out," Misako said.

"In the meantime, we ought to get you something to eat," Garmadon said. "You can have my apple... unless you're not hungry?"

"We'll share it," Misako said, smiling. She knew he was hungry, too. She handed him the glass of water; Garmadon took it and drained the remaining liquid without hesitation, then took her hand and led her to the table.

It took a while for Nya to explain everything. The Walkers were constantly asking questions, and Nya was constantly telling them that they could ask questions at the end, when she had given them all the information - they seemed to _constantly_ forget this. They would also make side comments, like "That employee should have been more careful!", or "A tranquilizer pad? How clever!... evil, of course, but clever".

Nya reached the part where the tunnel lit up and they discovered it was a trap, and Ed and Edna finally grew silent, seeming to fully appreciate the story. Nya was by no means a storyteller - Kai had been the one who inherited their father's talent of embellishment and drama in telling stories - but they seemed enraptured from that point on.

Ed stopped her, however, as they were escaping the room at the end of the tunnel. "Wait," he said. His demeanor, Garmadon noticed, was no longer airy and unfocused. "Wait... tell me that part again. About her hypnotizing you. Can you tell me the details?"

"... I don't know..." Nya said. "I was under her spell, too."

"I broke it," Garmadon said. "I know what happened."

Ed and Edna both looked at him.

"Her voice got suddenly low and clear, and there was a symbol glowing in the palm of her glove," Garmadon said.

"A glowing symbol?" Edna said. She, too, was suddenly much more serious. "What did it look like? Can you draw it out?"

Garmadon nodded, and Ed handed him a pen and paper from the pocket of his overalls. Garmadon bit his lip, then drew a strange marking.

Ed and Edna leaned forward, watching with interest and urgency. Garmadon drew a circle, then attached to it two lines going out to the side, two lines pointing down, and put another circle on top of the first and gave it two little lines sticking up.

"That looks like a stick figure," Nya remarked. "... An overweight stick figure."

Garmadon scowled. "I'm not done," he said. He then drew two triangles in the spaces between one of the lines pointing down and one of the lines pointing to the side.

They looked at it some more.

"That still looks like a stick figure," Nya said.

Garmadon set down the pen. "That's what I saw," he said, glaring at the Samurai, who shrugged apologetically. "It was glowing violet while she was using the magic."

"Hmm," Ed said, taking the paper and staring at it. Edna looked at it, too.

Nya continued. "It was all dark, and we were running for our lives. We were all tired, from the effects of the grenade that Garmadon used, and we thought we weren't going to make it. Then we heard this weird screaming sound. It was like... like..." She trailed off, looking for the words.

Suddenly a dreadful, rattling roar shook the trailer. Everyone looked up and around, alarmed - the scream tapered off, leaving the lights flickering and the water in their glasses sloshing around. There was a brief, shocked silence.

"Like that?" Ed said softly.

"Like that," Nya affirmed.

Ed said something very uncharacteristic and leapt out of his chair. "Oh, this is bad," he said, running out of the kitchen, towards the bedroom. "This is bad, this is bad, this is bad!"

"What?" Garmadon said urgently. He watched Edna stand up, too - she looked alarmed. "What is it? What was the screaming?"

Edna shook her head. "It's called a Whisperer," she said. "And it's one of the most dangerous creatures in existence! I would say that they're more powerful than the Stone Army."

"What?!" Sensei Wu said. He, Nya, Garmadon and Misako leapt to their feet.

Ed scrambled out of the bedroom, holding something red out towards Nya. It was the hard drive. "You'd better take this," he said hastily. Nya took it and shoved it in her pocket.

Garmadon felt dread in his stomach. Eboni's words came back to him: "_You_ _can_ _run,_ _Lord_ _Garmadon,_ _but_ _you_ _can't_ _hide._" What was this Whisperer? How did Ed and Edna know about it? And if Eboni had set it on them, how were they supposed to fight it?

"How do we fight it?" he asked. Ed and Edna shook their heads.

"You don't," they said.

"What do you mean?" Misako said. "Surely there's a way!"

"There _is_ a way," Ed said. "But it's complicated, and there's no way we can teach you before it gets here - you four need to hide while we try to take it down."

"We'll be fine," Edna added. "We can take it, but you have to hide. Run to our bedroom and stay in there."

Garmadon objected. "We can help," he said. "We're experienced enough with fighting that I think we could -"

"No, you can't," the Walkers said at the same time.

"Fighting Whisperers is different," Edna said. "It's more dangerous - for one thing, you have to know how to use Shauto -"

"What's Shauto?" Garmadon said, feeling his temper start to rise. "Look, that doesn't matter, we can help -"

"No, you _can't_," the couple said in unison once more. "Listen to us," Ed said. "A Whisperer is like an unstoppable force - you can't fight it hand-to-hand, you can't negotiate with it, it's not even mortal - you _have_ to know how to use the magic that can defeat it to even stand a chance at fighting it. _Please_ stay here, and stay hidden."

Misako grabbed Garmadon's shoulder. "They're right, Gom," she said. "Come on. This isn't a fight we can win, and if they know how to defeat it, then they can't have us getting in their way."

Garmadon hesitated.

The Whisperer screamed again. Everyone looked to the window, feeling fear in the pit of their stomachs. The sound grated on their ears - there was no doubt that it was the same screech they had heard in the tunnel.

_This_ _Whisperer_ _must_ _have_ _been_ _tailing_ _us_ _the_ _entire_ _time_, Garmadon realized with an inward curse.

Ed swore again. "It might be too late," he muttered, then shouted, "get in our bedroom and hide!" He was pulling on a pair of gloves with strange symbols all over them - he tossed another pair and a rock at his wife, and she put them on, too.

Garmadon reluctantly ran into the bedroom with the others. They all took shelter in the corner, in between the chest of drawers and the nightstand.

Garmadon's mind was racing. Something that he, a son of the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master, didn't know about and couldn't fight? The notion was not only unheard of but terrifying. What could be more powerful than the Stone Army? What could be so powerful that you could only fight it with the correct tools?

... What had they gotten themselves into?


	14. Spinjitzu: More Handy Than You Think

Spinjitzu - More Handy Than You Think

* * *

Down, MTR

8:02

* * *

"This is going to be the hardest part of your training. It will take the most effort and the most cooperation, but I suspect that it will come more naturally than you believe."

The Ninja stood, backs against the wall, in the little wooden Mental Training Room. The place looked like it was only meant to hold about four people... closer to the size of a closet than a room, probably only about eight by eight feet. The Ninja had to squish together to fit. They had been squished many a time already during their training, it seemed.

London sat in the middle of the room, on a wooden chair. There was barely any light to see by - the only illumination came from four dim orange lights in each corner of the room. The darkness wasn't helped by the three windows on the far wall, which looked out into a black void of ocean abyss.

"Mental Training works on a principal of fear-containing and self-control," London continued. "Here, we don't crush your fears, but teach you to control them. We don't perfect you, but make it easier for you to contain and control emotions and impulses. For you, it should be far easier than Azamat made it sound, but this only because of two things. One, you are Elemental Masters, thus you are already quite prepared to learn using Shauto, which relies heavily on those elements that you possess; two, you have learned Spinjitzu, which is another form of self-control."

Zane raised his hand. London nodded at him. "How does the training process work?" he asked. The Ninja listened eagerly, a little nervous despite their confidence in London's reassurances.

"Good question," London said. She held up a stone in gloved hands.

"This rock has the symbol for Hone. The first thing you will do here is act upon the symbol, using the correct ritual, which I will tell you in a moment. You will find yourself in a place - I can't tell you where, because it is different for everybody. It may be a forest, or a castle, or a mountaintop, or lake, or an empty desert. This place is simulated by your mind, soul, and Hone."

She turned the rock over in her hands. "In the simulation, you will feel fear. That is completely normal - your mind is adjusting to its surroundings. But when you feel that fear, you need to control it. Understand?"

The Ninja nodded.

London was still eying them. She looked about ready to add something, then paused.

She took a deep breath.

"I'll bring you out of your simulation after three minutes," she said. "While you're undergoing the training, however, it will feel like longer."

Zane raised his hand again. "What happens during the actual training part?" he asked.

London smiled, then shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "That's what's hard about it - Hone and the elements of your soul decide what your training is, not me. That's why it's different for everyone."

"Excuse me, but what do you mean by Hone and our souls decide?" Zane pressed. "Hone is a symbol."

"Hone is Shauto," London said. "And Shauto is ever-flowing, ever-healing, and ever-existing. It's always there, living through us, our bodies, and the land. Always being used. It is not just a force, but has a sort of intelligence - can feel when it is being used incorrectly. It's not just a magic or science, but an... energy. Does that make sense?"

Zane shook his head. "A little... But I do not see how something could perceive if it is not alive. You say it is not Ninjagian?"

London sighed. "You'll see what I mean when you use it," she said. "It's hard to explain, but Shauto does have a distinct presence and influence. Would you like to be the first to try?"

Zane hesitated, glancing at his teammates. Those who looked back shrugged awkwardly, a little nervous. The Nindroid turned to London and nodded.

"Alright," she said. She stood up. "Come sit down on this chair, put on these gloves, and hold the stone."

She pulled a pair of long gloves from her cloak pocket and handed them to him. Zane obeyed, looking determined but slightly anxious as London gave him the rock and he sat down.

"I'm going to tell you the ritual," London said. "And the you'll repeat it. When you do, you'll activate Hone, and you will be transported to your simulation. Any questions?"

"Quite a few," Zane said, "but I fear they would be irrelevant to the situation at hand."

London adjusted the Nindroid's grip on the stone. She placed it in the palm of his right hand and laid his other hand over it, so that it was nearly hidden between them.

"Repeat after me," she said. The Ninja all leaned forward, watching Zane's reaction. "_Stat' pravda_."

"_Stat' pravda_," Zane said, repeating her precisely.

Nothing seemed to happen, but London leaned back, looking satisfied. Zane sat, back straight, with his hands folded over the stone, eyes closed and brow furrowed.

She approached the Ninja, leaning over to Lloyd and whispering something into his ear, hands cupped around her mouth so that the others couldn't hear, no matter how hard they strained their ears. Then she whispered the same thing into each of their ears in turn. She said: "He's in the simulation. Nobody make a sound, and we'll wait."

They all nodded. They watched Zane with fascination - he was completely, utterly still.

Stiller than still.

* * *

Scrap And Junk

5:04, the day before

* * *

The screaming was terrible. Wu knew that it wasn't human - that Ed and Edna hadn't gotten hurt - but it still sent shivers up his spine. He huddled in between Garmadon and Nya, listening to the awful noise of the battle in the corner of the master bedroom, for what seemed like hours, but could only have been a few minutes.

It was a frightening thing. It was all dark, not to mention stuffy, and everyone could hear each other breathing heavily; he was pressed close against his brother and pupil, sweat trickling down his forehead from the combined heat and stress. The trailer rattled every so often, and trinkets from on top of the nightstand and chest of drawers toppled off their resting places and onto the floor... it was always followed by an angry, unearthly screech.

Nya fidgeted next to him, unwittingly shoving him over slightly as she rummaged in her jean pocket. Wu glanced at her, then blinked as she flicked on a small screen.

"What is that?" he hissed.

"My tracker," Nya whispered back. The trailer was again shaken, and they all tensed up, hearing something crash onto the hardwood floor and shatter. Nya pulled out something that glinted red in the light of the tracker - the hard drive - and plugged it into the rectangular tracking device.

"What are you doing?" Wu asked, gritting his teeth and moving his legs beneath him so that he was no longer crouching, but sitting awkwardly on his limbs; it was the best he could do while they were pressed so close together.

"Downloading the information... changing the passwords," Nya said. "If Eboni _does_ get a hold of this, at the very least she won't be able to control the Samurai Suit, and very quickly here she won't be able to access the Destiny's Bounty, either..." Nya punched a button on the side of her tracker with the side of her hand, and a keyboard slid out of the inner mechanics of the device. She began typing furiously.

Another trailer-rattling shake. Wu braced himself between the floor and the wall, clenching his fists - Misako and Garmadon copied him. Nya stretched out, placing her left foot on the wall, the right foot on the leg of the nightstand, and her back up against the chest of drawers to keep herself steady as she typed.

Then there was a thud. The wall of the trailer caved in with a sharp _craaack_ \- the people inside screamed as they were pushed from their hiding spot closer against the chest of drawers.

Wu looked up to see what had happened, and it became apparent that the trailer wall had not caved in, but had been hit with something pretty hard. A fair-sized dent had been made, and there was a scream - this time, it was not the Whisperer.

"Edna!" came a shout. There was a slow, muffled grinding - whatever had made impact with the trailer slumped to the ground, moaning.

"The Walkers are in trouble!" Misako said.

Wu's eyes widened when he realized what must have happened. Something had thrown Edna up against the trailer. He could hear her on the other side of the wall, making strangled cries of pain.

"That's it," Garmadon growled. Wu looked to him, surprised; his brother pushed himself to his feet and scrambled out of the corner. "I'm fighting!"

"Gom!" Wu said, standing up. Garmadon ignored him and sprinted out of the room, throwing the door open and running to the Walker's aid.

Wu exhaled with exasperation, and stepped over his in-law and student. "Stay here," he told them. "I'm going to go stop him."

"Be careful!" Misako and Nya said at the same time, both looking up at him with determination in their eyes. Wu nodded, and sprinted after his brother.

"Montgomery!" Wu shouted, running through the kitchen to the open door of the trailer. He slammed straight into his brother's back. Wu shook himself, then realized that Garmadon had stopped dead in the doorway, looking up at something that towered over the entire junkyard.

Wu pushed past him to look, then froze.

It was something Wu could never have imagined... and was glad he hadn't. It was great and black and terrible, floating some fifty feet in the air, comparable to the size of the trailer, at very least. It was covered with spear-like, dust-colored bones that ran all down the length of the creature like armor. The Whisperer resembled a huge, flying, black, bone-covered snake, with a great, jutting jaw filled with teeth from every sort of predator Wu could think of.

Ed stood in the sand beneath it, clutching his arm; the grit around him was red and blood-soaked.

The monster shifted its massive, bony head from Ed to the brothers in the doorway of the trailer. Wu felt his heart skip a beat.

Empty eyes.

Eyes that seem to swallow his soul, leaving him with an awful sense of hopelessness and despair.

Then it parted its jaws, the bones scraping against each other and clacking together like an incarnated skeleton's, and gave a resolve-shattering, blood-chilling roar.

"Oh, Overlord," Garmadon swore.

"Get back inside!" Ed shouted, waving his bloodied arm for them to go.

Garmadon looked at him, then promptly ran outside around to the back of the trailer, where Edna had slammed into it. Wu was faced with no choice but to follow, but his heart thumped wildly, knowing he was exposing his back to the Whisperer.

"Edna!" Garmadon said, skidding to a halt in the sand. Wu stopped just behind him; the old woman was slumped in the sand, blood trickling from her forehead, moaning. She clutched a rock in her gloved hand. Garmadon clenched his fists, then leaned down and picked her up.

A shadow fell over them. Wu looked up, dreading what he knew he would see. The Whisperer swam through the air like an enormous, nightmarish eel, bone armor fitting together like the pieces of an intricate puzzle, allowing a smooth transition from one movement to the next. Then, to Wu's fascinated horror, it twisted its huge, patchwork skull upside down and grinned at them, teeth sticking out at strange and frightening angles. Wu felt all his breath - and determination - desert him.

"Gom!" he said. Garmadon looked up from the woman in his arms and blanched.

The Whisperer opened its mouth to roar again. There was a blinding green flash, and Wu and Garmadon both ducked to the ground, shielding their eyes against the light - the Whisperer screamed.

When the screaming didn't stop, Wu hesitantly looked up. The Whisperer was shying away from them, shrinking back as if it was afraid of them. The massive creature spasmed and cried out; its bony armor was dissolving, empty eyes narrowed to agonized slits against the still brightly shining green light.

Wu looked to the source of the light. It was coming from the other side of the trailer; it was coming from Ed.

"It's hurt!" Garmadon said. "Wu, hurry! We need to run _now_!"

Wu nodded and scrambled through the sand after his brother. They ran from the Whisperer, back around to Ed.

The screaming stopped. For a moment, everything seemed deathly silent - things moved as fast as ever, but the lack of the roar gave Wu a feeling of horrifying loss as he tripped over himself and the sand running from the nightmare that was sure to end them...

But they rounded the corner, and Ed was collapsed on the ground. The blinding light, like the screaming, was gone.

Wu's heart pounded in his ears. "Ed!" he called. They ran to him, and Wu leaned down to help him stand, just as Nya and Misako came outside.

"What..." Garmadon said, panting. "the heck... was that?"

"Whisperer," Ed choked. He leaned on Wu for support, and the Sensei grabbed his shoulders to keep him steady. "Powerful one at that. That's the first time in years I've used Shauto... we're out of practice."

"Where is it now?" Nya demanded, when she and Misako reached them. "The Whisperer, I mean... where did it go?"

"Killed it," Ed said breathlessly. "Using Shauto."

"Shauto... that was the big flash?" Garmadon said.

"Yes..." Ed's eyes widened, and he leaned forward suddenly. "Edna!"

"Here," Garmadon said. He let Edna slide out of his arms, and Ed jumped forward to her, helping her stand up straight.

"Oh, Ed," Edna said. "Ed, dear, I'm fine... I just need to Heal."

Ed nodded, and rummaged in his overalls. He handed her a rock with a strange symbol on it... Wu watched her bring the stone to her lips and whisper something.

In an instant, the wound in her head was healed. Wu almost couldn't believe his eyes - the lines on her gloves glowed green, and the skin mended back together smoothly. It didn't even scab.

"How -?" Misako said. She, Nya and Garmadon were just as awestruck.

"Again, Shauto," Ed said. He took the stone from her, held it in his gloved hands, brought it to his mouth and said something inaudible. He looked down at his arm, and as expected, the blood stopped flowing and the scratch healed.

He turned to his guests and gave a tired smile. "You'd never guess how long it took to perfect that," he said, chuckling at the looks on their faces. "Normally, you'd need a vial of mint."

"Wow," Wu murmured.

"Is anyone hurt?" Edna said.

"No," Garmadon said. "I see now why we couldn't fight that thing... that was..."

Ed frowned. "If a Whisperer that powerful was assigned to follow and capture you," he said, "then you're in more trouble than we thought. I thought I recognized that magic, but this proves it..."

"Proves what?" Nya said urgently.

The Walkers looked at each other. "Come inside," Edna said. "It's getting late. We'll explain everything over dinner."

"Dinner?" Garmadon said. He looked both relieved and disturbed. "You just fought that _nightmare_ and now all you can think of is _dinner_? Are you both completely insane?"

"Of course," Ed said. Wu wasn't sure if it was in answer to if the first question or the second... perhaps both. "Shauto is exhausting, and I'm famished. Come on inside and we'll tell you everything about what a dangerous predicament we're in! Edna makes good tacos!"

And off they marched to the trailer.

Garmadon exchanged perturbed looks with Wu, but no one argued. After all, Ed and Edna were right about one thing - they all needed a good taco right about then.

* * *

Down, MTR

8:05

* * *

Zane opened his eyes.

"How was it?" London said.

Zane blinked. He looked up at London, his face blank.

_Just_ _as_ _I_ _suspected_, London thought, and she let a grin spread over her face.

"It was... dull," Zane admitted. "Nothing much happened. I fail to see the merit in completing such an exercise. I do not feel at all how Azamat described. I feel... unchanged. Ordinary. Standard."

London took his hand and pulled him to his feet, the smile still plastered on her features. She took the Hone rock from him.

"You will all forget that this ever happened," she said. "Come with me... now we will begin your _real_ training."

The Ninja all stood, stock-still, as London walked casually from Zane to the door and pulled it open. London paused, then turned around. "Are you coming?" she said.

They all scrambled after her hastily; everyone looked hopelessly confused.

"Mrs. Brookstone?" Lloyd said as they followed her down the hall.

"It's just London," she said.

"Ah, London... what was that about?"

London stopped three doors down from the MTR at the end of the hall. She turned around and flashed a smile.

"That was an experiment," she said. "That method, the Hone method, is what I used to train Amilia, Azamat, December, and Gahiji. It is the standard Shauto mental preparation method... but, just as I suspected, it doesn't work on you."

She opened the door. The Ninja peered inside; it looked like a huge training course, but not one the Ninja had ever seen before. It was the size of a gym. A lot of the equipment they had seen before in Sensei Wu's training course back in the old Monastery, like the dummies, falling axes and weighted poles, but most of it they had never encountered.

Amilia was across the room, appearing to be waist deep in a pit of sludge.

"The Physical Training Room," London said, stepping inside.

"Wait," Jay said, catching up to her. "Wait, so why doesn't it work on us?"

"I can only guess," London said. "But I think it has something to do with the fact that you all know Spinjitzu."

They all stopped in front of the training equipment. London stood on tiptoe and waved at Amilia.

Amilia turned around, wiping her forehead with the sleeve of her suit - her forearms were covered in mud from the pit. She waved back.

"Hi!" London said.

"I thought you were training?" Amilia said, noticing the Ninja all standing behind London and giving the teenage girl strange looks. She grinned, as if her standing in the middle of a mud pit was the most normal thing in the world - and for all they knew, it was.

"Yeah, we are, but do you remember that one theory I told you about?"

"The Spinjitzu theory?"

"Yeah."

"Ahh, I see. Well don't let me get in the way. Am I a distraction?"

"I don't know," London said. She turned around and raised her eyebrows at the Ninja. "Is she a distraction?"

The Ninja shook their heads awkwardly.

"Nope," London called back. "Just keep doing your thing. We'll stay out of your way."

Amilia shrugged. "Just as long as I'm not in _your_ way," she said, and continued wading through the mud, searching for something in the muck.

London turned and led the Ninja past Amilia to a clear space between training equipment.

"Just out of curiosity," Lloyd said, glancing over his shoulder at Amilia, "what is she doing?"

"Oh, she's experimenting," London said. "She's trying to create a more durable pen. You know, the one that December used to draw the symbol for Rescue on the rock? Amilia's trying to make it withstand more pressure, water-proof, fire-proof, and apparently mud-proof. Seems like a silly thing, but we rely heavily on those pens as a backup in case something happens to the original stone."

"... Aha." Lloyd watched Amilia pull a once-white pen out of the mud, look it over, and sigh. She tossed it over her shoulder onto the ground next to the pit and grabbed the next pen from a case next to it.

London stopped them, then gently nudged them into a line - they compensated. "Now," she said. "I think - at least, this is my theory - that you five are not affected by the Hone training method because you have learned Spinjitzu. Spinjitzu is another form of mental training that does practically the same thing; renders your fears immobile and allows extreme control over yourself. The only differences are that Spinjitzu often promotes emotional health much more efficiently, and does not have a lasting effect, as well as takes much longer to process."

The Ninja nodded, mystified.

London sighed. "In other words, Spinjitzu and Hone are basically the same thing, but one is easier than the other," she said.

"So, we're going to try something different. You have already learned Spinjitzu and earned your True Potential, so you are as prepared as you can be to learn Shauto. I suspect that it won't be hard; after all, your Elements are already so in tune with Shauto, and you know yourselves well. All it will take is practice.

"Who will help me demonstrate?"

No one raised their hand at first. Then Jay lifted his hand in the air.

"Walker, perfect," London said. Jay stepped out of line and approached her. "Alright, Walker, if you would... please perform Spinjitzu for me."

Jay nodded. With barely a moment's hesitation, he tensed, then spun around in a burst of bright blues and whites, creating a swirling whirlwind of shocking color. London and the Ninja stepped back, and Amilia looked up from her mud.

Jay halted, and the blinding tornado disappeared, leaving a faint crackling of static electricity hanging in the air. London smiled, and clasped her hands behind her back; Amilia watched with fascination.

"Good," London said. "Great. Tell me, Jay, how did you unlock Spinjitzu? When you first learned it, I mean. What happened to make you unlock it?"

Jay paused, then rubbed the back of his head. "Uh, to be honest? I don't know. None of us really do... it was just this kind of... explosion, I guess? It felt like something inside me just burst open."

"Okay," London said, nodding. "That sounds accurate."

"Wait... have _you_ learned Spinjitzu?" Zane asked.

London shrugged. "Yes," she admitted. "It's been a long time, though. I never saw its worth until now, and I have long since forgotten it. But I remember that feeling, too. How long ago did you unlock it, Jay?"

"Umm. Wow, that would be a year ago now. I think?" he turned to the others for confirmation.

"More like a year and a half," Cole said.

"Year and a half," Jay said.

"Wonderful," London said. "Perfect. So, what I want you to do, I think..." She pondered for a moment.

Amilia spoke from the mud pit just a few yards away. "You could have them practice Spinjitzu as their training," she said. London nodded as she talked. "With a stone, maybe, and the Connection Rivers. Maybe have them train in between two Periods that would be marked out on the floor."

"That sounds doable," London said, nodding. "Yes, that sounds like it would work. Connecting them to Shauto while they train, therefore allowing the energy to bond with them more readily... good idea, Amilia. But they'd need a stronger bond than that. It's one thing to just hold the symbol, but using it is usually far more effective."

"They could take a mint," Amilia said. "One of the forties should do it, don't you think?"

"Ah!" London snapped her fingers. "Brilliant. Awesome. Of course."

Cole chuckled. "Mind telling us what's so brilliant?" he said.

"Yeah, yeah. So, for your training, you're going to be performing Spinjitzu. While you're doing it, though... wait here." London left them, jogging back around the mud pit and out the door of the PTR.

The Ninja exchanged looks.

"Your mom is one smart lady," Jay said to Cole, watching London run from the room.

"Apparently," Cole agreed.

London returned quickly, with five pairs of gloves clutched in one hand and five rocks and a black marker in the other. "Here, put these on," she said, handing a pair to each Elemental Master. "You can get these and the rocks from the Garage, by the way, where we keep the jets. For future reference."

They put them on - they were long and white with green lines on them, each running parallel from the tip of each finger straight down the length of the glove... the first thing they all thought of was Gahiji's tattoos, only these had no intricate markings weaving between the lines.

"What are the lines for?" Zane asked.

"They're Connection Rivers," London said. "I'll explain in a minute. Have a stone."

They each inspected their gloves and the rocks that London gave them, which were smooth and cream-colored, ornamented with a green symbol; a circle with four different hooks branching out from four areas. There was also two dots in the center, side by side, like a pair of eyes.

"So," London said. "The gloves are Connection Rivers. They are essential to performing Shauto... you need something to connect to the symbol so it can flow properly. The rocks are called Shauto Stones, but we usually refer to them as just stones. They are handy for carrying around, while you're patrolling or fighting, and when you start running Singes you'll get your own. You usually carry three stones; Rescue, for defeating Whisperers, Shield, for defending yourself against their powers, and See, for checking your surroundings... Any questions so far?"

"I have one," Lloyd said. "So, you get three stones, Rescue, Shield and See, but why not Heal?"

"Good question," London said, pleased. "For Heal, you must have peppermint extract, and the symbol must be drawn directly on the affected area... well, okay, that's not strictly true, but it takes years of practice and studying to do it with a stone. I myself can't, but -"

She stopped talking suddenly. Her gaze flickered to Jay, and then she kept talking. "Anyways. That's why you don't use a stone for it... Heal requires direct contact, as it is not dealing with a soul or protecting, but is mending a wound."

Lloyd nodded. "Also, what is a Singe?"

"Well... okay, they're not really 'Singes', but we've called them that for a few years now."

Amilia, listening from the mud pit, laughed.

London shook her head and smiled. "The Five guard the City, Golden Peaks, Glacier Barrens, Yuj's Cliff - basically the whole of NinjaGo. A Singe is just what we call a patrol."

"Why do you call it a Singe?" Zane said.

"Ask Azamat sometime," London said. "I'm sure he'd love to tell you the story.

"But anyways... the _other_ thing that you need to do..." London walked away from them and knelt down on the ground. She tugged the cap off of the black marker she had brought, and drew a hand-sized black circle on the hardwood floor, then colored it in.

She stood up and walked across to the immobile falling axes. To the Ninja's surprise, she grabbed the entire mechanism around the base and started pushing it aside.

"Give her a hand there, Brookstone," Amilia said, after about five seconds of watching the woman push. Cole nodded and went to assist his mother in moving the entire mechanism from their path.

"Thanks," she said breathlessly. "Will you get that other thing out of the way, too? The dummies? Yeah, thanks. Okay, so what I'm doing is drawing Periods," she explained as she walked to the other end of the gym. The Ninja followed after her so that they could hear what she was explaining.

"Periods are a form of punctuation in Shauto. And punctuation is extremely important." Here, London turned around to point her finger in the air at them as they walked. "Punctuation allows you to pull yourself in and out of Shauto whenever you need to. Granted, Shauto is as much a living thing as it is a magic, but it's something you have to be very careful using. If you don't take the proper precautions, you can end up a prisoner of it - in other words, lose your mind over it."

The Ninja's thoughts were jerked unpleasantly in the direction of their very own Ninja of Fire, who was in the middle of a session of Takigyo with Azamat in the room next to them. He was, of course, crazy for reasons completely opposite of Shauto, but the phrase "lose your mind" inspired the connection anyways.

London reached the edge of the gym - about ten yards from the black circle she had drawn on the hardwood floor - and crouched down to draw another. "Punctuation represents a beginning and an ending," she said. "If you don't have punctuation, then you have _no_ beginning, and _no_ ending, and you are _never_ getting out of it. You lose yourself in Shauto, forever, and when you lose yourself in Shauto, you will keep using Shauto, lost in its energy, until you die from exhaustion."

She looked up from the second Period, but stayed crouched. Her electric blue eyes pierced each of them with a seriousness that was absolute. "You must _never_ forget punctuation," she said. The Ninja nodded.

London moved a few paces away and drew another Period. "If you notice," she continued, "Your stone and your gloves both have punctuation."

The Ninja looked down at their tools. The stone's symbol did indeed have punctuation, in the form of the two eyes that seemed to peer at them from the center of the circle. At the end of the Connection River and on the tip of each of the glove's finger, there was a Period.

"All of Shauto must be punctuated precisely. There are no exceptions to this rule whatsoever - there must be a beginning and an ending _every_ _time_. I can tell you from experience that you do not want to lose yourself in Shauto."

"From experience?" Cole said, alarmed. "So _you've_ lost yourself in Shauto, then, mother?"

London shook her head. "Not me," she said. Her tone was solemn. "Azamat."

Everyone fell silent. London stood up, went back to the first Period, then moved a few paces, drawing a fourth Period across from the third.

"So," she said, her voice holding a finality that had not been there before. She suddenly looked tired. "You will hold the stone - in this case, a simple Connection stone - while wearing the glove and perform Spinjitzu within this box, _only_. You will also consume a mint before training." London leaned down and connected the first Period and the fourth one with a line of black marker, then proceeded to outline a rectangular box from the four corners she had made; the Ninja followed her wordlessly.

When she finished, she stood up straight and said, "You will do this for a half hour every morning of every day," she said. "Does that make sense?"

The Ninja nodded.

"Any questions?"

There was a pause.

Then, Lloyd said softly, "Azamat lost himself in Shauto?"

London sighed. She was going to have to tell the story, she supposed, whether she like it or not. She glanced at Amilia, but the teenage girl was wading through the mud and searching for her pen again, having apparently lost interest in the training session.

"Briefly," she said, softly. "About three years ago, when Amilia and Azamat first came here. He had only been in Hone training for about a week - it takes a long time, using the Hone method, to get the mental preparation necessary for using Shauto - and hadn't learned about Punctuation. A mistake, on my part, as I was the one training the twins."

The Ninja were listening intently. London continued, her voice thin and far away.

"I don't know what was going through his head, but he decided he was going to use Shauto to do something - maybe he just wanted to see what it felt like to use it. I don't blame him, not really. I might have done the same, at his age... But he neglected to use punctuation as he tried to perform See.

"I didn't get there until late that night, and he had lost himself for five hours already. Amilia had found him and had no idea what to do for him, so came to me for help. I'm glad she did. Who knows what would have happened if she hadn't... he was reduced to lying on the floor, hands glued to his stone, quivering and mumbling to himself, incomprehensible Amidian - it must have been Shauto that put the words in his mouth, because he didn't know a stitch of Amid. He was pale. Bleeding, too, from his mouth. I used my pen to put down punctuation on the stone as quick as I could.

"Then he sort of... slumped over, screaming in the Amid tongue like nothing I've ever heard before. He threw the stone across the room and kept screaming until Amilia and I picked him up, snapping him out of it. I remember his eyes... those bright green eyes, filled with terror and things beyond my comprehension.

"He was put into intensive Takigyo therapy... Takigyo every two hours, very little interaction with anyone besides his sister and I for three months. His condition was very much like how Kai's is, now, only... deeper. More permanent. He lost his mind, exposed to Shauto's power for that long..."

London paused, then looked at the Ninja. They all looked stunned and sad. London nodded, as if she wasn't surprised at this.

Then she stood up straight. "Shauto," she said; the Ninja all looked up at her, surprised at her tone, which was no longer quiet. "Is powerful, wonderful, our only chance of winning against the Whisperers - and dangerous. Don't let what happened to Azamat happen twice. Punctuation, always."

They nodded.

London hoped they understood.


	15. Straightforward

**A/N: It is time you met my favorite bad guy. **

* * *

Straightforward

* * *

Straightforward.

That's what he strived to be.

Direct... quick... ordered... reasonable... to the point. Straightforward was really the word for it, so he used it.

Being straightforward was... well, a _straightforward_ process.

Step one, the only step: be straightforward with everything you say, and you will never have to repeat yourself.

Normally.

At least, that is the idea.

But some people didn't get it. Even as clear as he was, he often found himself repeating himself over and over and over again... it was quite annoying, really. Those people had no respect for what he was trying to do... being straightforward would assist _so_ much in the way of putting things in order and getting things done. Those people ignored his hard work.

And it was just his luck that one of those people had to be his daughter.

"I truly hope," he said into the microphone. His tone was not far from annoyance, but he kept it hovering between irritation and seriousness. "That you did not in _any_ way underestimate our target, dear?"

"No, daddy... of course not," came the girl's voice over the headset. There was no friendly greeting. She knew not to expect one by now.

"You have my entire career in your hands, honey. Don't lose it." Honey... _blegh_. What did he have to do to make her understand? Pet names seemed to help. But then again, he could never tell with such an irresponsible girl.

The money he wasted on cigarettes and coffee was entirely _her_ fault.

"I know. Trust me on this one."

"You _did_ get the hard drive, correct?"

"Yes, daddy, it's right here."

"Anything of obvious use?"

"Most of it is junk, but some of it is useful information."

He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his hand across his face. He truly wished he had something to drink - he was beyond tired. He'd get one of the workers wandering around to bring him a coffee after the call. "Eboni, dear," he said, shivering at the familiarity of the sentence. "Most of what looks like junk is extremely important... we need _all_ of it. Every last stitch." _You'd_ _think_ _a_ _thief_ _would_ _realize_ _what_ _treasures_ _could_ _be_ _found_ _it_ _seemingly_ _useless_ _information_.

"Yes, daddy, I know."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. No, not a drink... a cigarette would be better, at this point. "Darling, you keep saying that you know, but I don't think that you do," he said softly. "I'm worried you don't understand what I mean when I say that this is important."

"Could have guessed as much," Eboni said with a sigh. "Give me more credit, daddy, I've been doing this for years. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do, darling, but - wait..."

There was a silence. He listened intently to it... he unconsciously worked his fingers as if he was kneading something soft. The symbol on his glove glowed violet as he probed the quiet.

There. He _had_ heard it, after all - a footstep, on her end of the line. He smiled.

"You've got a couple of intruders, baby girl. Who did you post up top? William?"

He heard her swallow.

"Okay. Yeah, okay, whatever," she said, a little flustered; her hesitation didn't last long before she regained her wits. "I'm just wondering how William's doing up there."

Fake conversation, just in case anyone escaped this encounter. The plan was simple... but with this girl running things, he had to expect the worst.

"You are a clever little thing," he said, leaning back in his swivel chair. _An_ _annoyingly_ _time_-_consuming_ _clever_ _little_ _thing_, he added to himself.

Eboni spoke again. "I wonder if the Samurai X picked up on our trail... or if she isn't as skilled as we think she is. What do you think, daddy?"

"I think that William is hardly one for pranks, however juvenile his thought processing is."

"No, not really. I just wonder whether or not she beat him. What do you think?"

"Insert reply here," her father said. He reached into his breast pocket and pulled from it a single cigarette and his lighter, and lit it with a _flick_.

"I wouldn't be surprised if she beat him. He's only an apprentice, after all."

"And your latest love interest, I hear." He sucked in a breath through the cigarette, then let it out slowly, filling the air in front of him with smoke. _Ahh_. He felt better already.

"What? Nah. I've got other men on my list."

"Darling, please, we've been through this," he said, sounding stern but worried.

"No, no, he's nice enough... Or he _was_ nice, depending on whether or not 'X killed him." It was a hasty cover up... he could still hear the surprise in her voice. She had obviously thought that she had it going on without him noticing... How could he _not_ notice it?

Not that it mattered much in the long run. He didn't care, not really. After all, he wasn't even her real father.

He pretended to be, though.

"Oh, child..." he said, going for a concerned tone as he blew a puff of smoke into the air. He found even the use of the word "child" when speaking to her dreadfully endearing. _If_ _only_ _I_ _didn't_ _have_ _an act to_ _keep up_. "Just keep alert. A Samurai is not to be trifled with lightly... all we need is her, and anyone else who might be important, captured and brought here."

Something within him spiked. He felt a rush of power with a breath in through his cigarette... then he let it out, and the feeling faded, leaving a tingle of what could only be called a soothing anger. One that he had expected.

The Samurai must have triggered the alarm he set.

"That's fine, daddy... I'm expecting her any minute now."

"Good girl, Eboni." He wasn't going to cut the call right then. The way things looked, it was more than likely that Eboni would mess up, so he stayed.

"Oh... Here she is now."

He switched off his microphone, but kept the headset on. As the typical fear-inducing banter between Eboni and the soon-to-be-hostages followed, he sucked in another smoke-laden breath.

He turned in his swivel chair. What an absolutely _exhausting_ task - he would even go as far to say that it was excruciating. No one but him could do it, either, as he was well aware.

And this time not even a penny, no interest, no money _whatsoever_, would be exchanged, from either his hands or his client's.

Strange for a thief like himself to take such a job, especially since he _was_ a thief, not a kidnapper... but this time, he had no choice. It was the Samurai and her friends captured, or death before he could even murmur the word "unfair."

Because it _was_ unfair.

He could hear the woman's voice through the headset, growing low and clear, like molten glass. He smiled.

He flicked off the headset. Ha... like someone like him could claim to be treated unfairly. His lying to the young woman hardly granted him any leeway when it came to his main contributor.

Yes, he was lying to Eboni. Pretending to be this girl's father. And she fell for it, too... had been ignorant of the deception for years now. Called him daddy and everything.

If anyone was being treated unfairly, it was her. He almost felt sorry for her, but didn't find it within himself. That was the price that had to be paid, after all. The girl's ignorance for his own success.

Her real father had been dead for sixteen years.

No, "unfair" was hardly a word that he could use and be justified in using it, especially since _he_ had been the one to kill her father.

Ahh, justice... one of the most mind-blowingly aggravating subjects. One that, despite his busy schedule, he had quite enough time to ponder on. He liked to ponder.

He had been created that way.

Yes... he was not a philosopher, as his employer liked to put it, but a ponderer. A ponderer, and a thief. Technically a murderer, but he liked to call it being thorough. Because of this, he often pondered on whether or not he was sociopathic. He also pondered on whether or not it was possible to be placed in such a category, being what he was... could he be placed in _any_ category besides his own, really?

He pondered on a number of things.

Unfair... a word that applied to him in every sense, but one that he couldn't speak aloud for fear of being hypocritical.

But the situation was, indeed, unfair, whether it was justified or not.

Such confusing thoughts. They accompanied him always. His mind wasn't straightforward, like he strived to be, but very confusing and chaotic, and did a lot of repeating of the same thing, so he only pondered for so long before he had to put his mind back into order.

Put simply - he loved to put things simply, as it was so straightforward - he was in a situation where he couldn't escape without doing something for someone else's benefit and not his own. He was also annoyed about it. But that didn't matter, because he couldn't escape.

No room to move.

Trapped.

He hated it. But no one cared what he thought, not in the long run - why should they, really? After all, he was a killer, a thief and a liar.

And that, put straightforwardly and truthfully, was that.


	16. Struggling

Struggling

* * *

Down, Cafeteria

11:46 PM

* * *

"Hey, you guys," Azamat said, as the Ninja entered the cafeteria. "How was your first session of Mental Training?"

The Ninja all gave him a thumbs-up. Lloyd, who had been the last to complete it, was still a little bit breathless when he said, "Not exactly a whole bag of marshmallows, but pretty close."

Azamat looked surprised as he took a bite out of his sandwich. "Really?" he said, in between mouthfuls. "Am I just a wimp, then?"

"No," London said. She had entered the room, too, and she looked tired but pleased. "I was correct with my theory, so we tried something different than the standard Hone method."

Azamat breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, man," he said. "I'm glad that you don't have to endure what we did. That was some painful stuff, let me tell _you_."

Lloyd took a seat beside him. He let his head sink into his arms, and gave a long sigh. "That wasn't painful," he said, "but definitely exerting. I don't think any of us have done straight Spinjitzu for a half hour like that..."

Azamat nodded appreciatively. London then leaned down beside Azamat, took his head and held it stationary so that she could whisper something into his ear. The boy looked surprised at first. Then he listened.

Lloyd watched his expression change. Azamat's face went from alarm to nearly unidentifiable sadness, then grim acceptance.

London drew back from his ear and whispered something that Lloyd tried to lip-read, looking into his eyes. Her own reflected regret and seriousness. Lloyd saw Azamat shrug, and then he murmured back, "It's not really a problem, London. Really. I'm glad you told them - I don't think I would have been able to, myself."

"Are you sure?" London said.

"I'm sure," Azamat said. He smiled - it was a tired smile. One that did not belong on such a young face.

London patted his arm and walked away.

Lloyd realized what the conversation had been about... London was letting Azamat know that _they_ knew about his ordeal with punctuation. The Green Ninja was glad to see that Azamat wasn't upset.

Azamat caught his eye and smiled. It put Lloyd at ease - Azamat didn't begrudge them knowing about his experience, after all.

Someone sat down next to him. Lloyd looked over, and was surprised to find Kai smiling at him nervously. The Master of Fire gave a half-hearted wave.

"Hi, Kai," Lloyd said. "How... how are you feeling?"

He almost didn't ask - Kai was a mess. His skin was bleached white, his thin lips forced into what was undoubtedly a very agonizing smile, and he looked nauseous despite his efforts to conceal it. His everywhere-at-once hair lay long and limp, untouched by hair products, against his head, shielding his right eye like a dark, stringy curtain of uncertainty. The one eye that Lloyd could see was bright with anxiety, his furrowed brow scrunching up his forehead. Kai's knee bobbed up and down nervously.

He looked ready for one of three things: to throw up on Lloyd, take a long hot bath, or die right then and there.

Kai took his time in answering. "Better," he said. His voice was extremely soft and careful, which surprised Lloyd, who would have thought it would sound like a dying man. "Still like I'm a walking mess of emotions, though. It's actually kind of annoying."

"Oh," Lloyd said. He glanced to Azamat, who made a kind of unsure grimace, then turned back to Kai and said, "I'm glad you're feeling better, though. So Takigyo helps?"

"A lot," Kai affirmed. "It's... freeing." He then looked at the table, a residual forced smile still lingering on his face. He wrung his hands beneath the table. "I wish the sessions were longer."

"Do you think it's working?" Lloyd asked, trying to pry his eyes from Kai's unnervingly long hair and focus on the Master of Fire.

Kai shrugged. "I guess. How was Mental Training?" he said, casually - Lloyd was in the middle of answering by the time that he had realized how suddenly he had changed the subject.

"Fun. It was just Spinjitzu, basically... so, fun, but tiring. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah. Learn anything about Shauto?"

_We_ _learned_ _that_ _Azamat_ _nearly_ _killed_ _himself_ _with_ _it_, Lloyd thought, glancing at the fifteen-year old next to him, nonchalantly biting into his sandwich. "Yeah," he said. "A bunch of things."

"Mmm," Kai said. He kept staring at the table all the while he was speaking to the Green Ninja, his eyes unfocused. Lloyd didn't know if it was normal for him to space out like that, or if it was something he should be worried about; he looked to Azamat again.

Azamat just shrugged and nodded. _Roll_ _with_ _it_. Lloyd blinked gratefully and let out a long breath through his nose.

Jay slid smoothly into the seat on the other side of Azamat. "Hey, Azamat," he said, eagerly. "We hear you guys go on something called _Singes_. Why are they called that, mmm?"

Azamat groaned. "Oh, no, London didn't tell you the story, did she?"

"No," Cole said, sitting down opposite them. Zane joined him. "She said _you'd_ like to tell it."

"Ah!" Azamat said. "Awesome. She would have butchered the whole storytelling experience. Let _me_ tell it."

Lloyd glanced at Kai, whose attention was now on Azamat, along with the rest of them. Satisfied, he listened as well.

"So, our patrols include the Glacier Barrens, outskirts of the Badlands, Jamonakai village, Birchwood forests, Golden Peaks, etcetera," Azamat began. "One of the most basic patrols, though, is Torchfire Mountain.

"So, picture this. This is two years ago, right? I've been properly trained in Shauto for about a month, after... my last session of therapy." Azamat looked like he was struggling to even remember it. Then he swallowed his obvious discomfort and forced a smile.

If Lloyd hadn't have seen the change in his expression, he would never have known it had taken place.

"London thinks I'm _finally_ good enough to handle a basic patrol, so she sends me along with December for a demonstration on how things go. So we take the Kahgei, December shows me all the controls and stuff, and we arrive at Torchfire mountain. She does the whole See thing, and determines there are three Whisperers close by, two down at the base of the mountain and one at the top, near the crater.

"The plan is that we'll cut the two down at the bottom, and then she'll go in for the top one. Now we both know that if December wanted to, she could take both of them at once, as they're basically baby Whisperers, see. Too weak to be a problem. So, of course, I have the brilliant idea to veer from the plan and let her take the two down at the bottom and I'll take the one up top. Now, mind you, I was thirteen, going on fourteen. As genius as I was, I could also be pretty darn stupid. But here was my reasoning: If she wanted me to take one, and she two, then wouldn't it be easier to divide if she had two and I had one, but we both fought them at the same time, furthermore making the entire thing take half as much time as it would have originally?

"So I left her to fight the two down at the base of the volcano, and used my epic new teleportation coin that London had just programmed to get to the top.

"Now, this isn't how it works with Whisperers, obviously, but think of a mother and her young. Bear and bear cub. Mama bird and baby bird. If there's babies, there oughta be a mama... and well, the one up top was a mama." Azamat snorted. "Yeah, as soon as I saw her, I knew I had done one of the stupidest things in the history of stupid. I'd recommend listening to December, if you ever go on a patrol with her. This mama Whisperer was beyond awesome. I'd rate her higher than the ones you fought yesterday, probably an eight or nine - we rate the prowess of their Elemental control in numbers, one and two being inexperienced, four and five being good, past seven scary good.

"So I end up walking straight into a fight with a big fat niner on my first patrol. At least two minutes later, when December's figured out what happens and comes up to help, I've got a broken ankle, blood coming out of my nose, huge cut in my arm - the Whisperer was using the element of metal to create itself blades and armor and whatever else, I don't remember all that clearly. But I would have been killed if December hadn't have shown up and thrown the Rescue stone right in its face.

"She helped me up. As soon as I'm on my feet, leaning on her for support, and she's healed me, she yelled at me... anyone gotten her to yell at you, yet?" He asked the question as if it was expected that she would yell at someone within the time that they would be staying. The Ninja shook their heads. "Well, that angel can _yell_. Nearly blew out my eardrum. Then she promptly dropped me, and I land right smack on my butt and collapse on the ground.

"Now, we're kind of standing at the edge of a volcano's crater - _Torchfire_ _Mountain's_ crater. I've done my share of stupid things, but this time it was December's fault. I nearly toppled over the edge, and that would have been the end of me right there, right then... I remember looking over the edge and feeling this huge wave of heat rising from the volcano washing over my face, then I was falling, _straight down into that pit of magma!_ December reached down, grabbed me, and threw me over to safety before I could fall much farther.

"As soon as I get my wits again, I sit up, and realize my _hair_ is on fire!" Azamat threw up his hands and motioned wildly to both sides of his head. Everyone listening let out a cry of shock and laughter as Azamat shook his head.

"I can't really stop, drop and roll, not in the state that I'm in! So I'm just kind of sitting there with my hair on fire, shaking my head furiously, like that would help_ at all_. Then December, believe it or not, runs up and does two things. She dumps all the water from her water bottle onto my head, and then, without warning, starts slapping me silly to put the rest of it out... it was terrifying and painful, let me tell you.

"... We finally get back to Down, and I'm all healed and everything, but I'm... well, completely bald."

Jay, Lloyd and Cole all howled with laughter.

Azamat squeezed his eyes shut and shuddered, then said, "Completely bald. See this beautiful head of hair, right here?" He pointed to his thick brown locks. "_None of it existed!_ I go on _one_ patrol, and _poof_, my hair disappears! Seriously, that volcano singed every last strand of hair on my head off! It even burned off my eyebrows and eyelashes... I looked beyond terrifying without them, let me tell _you_."

Lloyd cupped his hands over his mouth, laughing so hard he thought his heart would fail.

"No eyebrows?" Zane repeated.

"Nope, no eyebrows, no hair, no eyelashes, nothing. It's funny now, but _man_ I was angry about it. And of course, nobody cared about my problems. They (Amilia and December, of course) started making cracks about going to go singe themselves on the volcano. But it wasn't really nailed down as a reference to going on a patrol until _Gahiji_ started calling them _Singes_ about four months later."

Jay clapped his hand to Azamat's back and leaned on him for support as he guffawed. "That is so _sad_, Azamat," he said.

Azamat glared at him.

"I'm sorry!" Jay said frantically, waving his arms. "I meant that, really, I did! I just started laughing!"

"Oh, sure you did," Azamat said, tone disbelieving, but there was a huge grin plastered on his face.

Lloyd heard a sound he hadn't expected coming from his right. He turned, and saw Kai laughing softly. As soon as he noticed Lloyd giving him a strange look, he stopped, cleared his throat, and glanced away abruptly.

_Why did I do that?_ Lloyd thought, dismayed. _He was laughing! He was having a good time! Why did I have to ruin it?_

Kai took a deep breath. Then he turned, and said to Lloyd, over the laughter of his teammates, "It's not your fault."

Lloyd blinked. "What?" he said.

"I'm just... it's hard for me to suppress it," Kai said. Lloyd noticed how pale he was, and his voice shook slightly. "The fear, I mean. It's not your fault if I freak out. It's mine."

"The fear?" Lloyd said softly, leaning in closer so that they could speak behind the curtain of laughter and shouting.

"Yeah..." Kai said. He squirmed. "This will sound really weird, but I'm afraid of everything. It's like - I still know what will hurt me and what won't, but there's a fear of everything and everybody around me that won't go away no matter how hard I try."

It was the first time that Lloyd recognized Kai as _Kai_ all day. Lloyd felt relief wash over him. It was Kai. He was talking to Kai.

"Do you... kind of understand what I'm saying?"

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah... I think so."

"I'm not crazy," Kai blurted. Lloyd flinched at the desperation in his voice. Kai shrank back, and the brief, familiar connection that Lloyd had felt between himself and the Master of Fire was severed abruptly.

"S-sorry," Kai murmured. "This is what I mean... I snap every so often. I'm sorry, really, I'll try to keep it under control... it really isn't me, and I'm really not crazy."

"Of course not," Lloyd agreed fervently. _And I know it. I felt it. You're getting better, Kai, I know it - you'll be back to normal soon._

"Man," Cole said. He and Jay had recovered from their laughter by now. "That's great."

"That doesn't sound very pleasant at all," Zane said, reaching across the table and touching Azamat's hair. "It looks fine, now. It grew back nicely."

Azamat nodded. "I made Amilia create a solution to make it grow back faster," he said. "I'm actually debating on whether or not to get it cut, though... what do you guys think?"

The Ninja examined Azamat's hair. "It looks fine right now," Cole said, giving a shrug. "What were you thinking?"

"Ah, I couldn't decide between getting a crew cut, like Zane's," Azamat pointed to Zane's hair, "or just shaving one side and letting the other side grow out long. Either way, I'm going to dye it, but I can't decide what colors."

"Wow, you're going for a complete makeover, then," Jay said.

"Well, yeah. I'm gonna get my hair done Saturday for our birthday, because Amilia won't let me get a tattoo." He sounded annoyed. "I'm a full eight minutes and nineteen seconds older than her and she treats me like the baby, can you believe it?"

"Your birthday is Saturday?" Cole said.

"Yup... turning sixteen, both me and Amilia."

"Okay, so this is like a birthday present to yourself," Jay said.

"Yeah."

Jay gazed at Azamat for some time, contemplating. "You know, you wouldn't look bad with a crew cut. It'd probably accentuate the earrings... but then, so would the other style you were thinking about. I dunno. What colors were you thinking?"

"Black," Azamat said. He ran his hands through his hair, picking out the long dyed strand of green hair and pulling it around in front of his face so he could stare at it.

Cole, Jay and Zane cocked their heads at him, trying to imagine it.

"That wouldn't be too bad," Cole said.

"Well, either black or bright blue," Azamat said, grinning. "I can't decide."

"Bright blue," Cole and Jay said together. Azamat laughed.

"I can definitely see bright blue," Jay said. "Like, a sort of minty color... or peacock."

"Peacock?" Azamat said. "Yeah, I think I'd like that... if I were to do the half-shaved look, it'd have more effect, I think. Thanks, I think that's what I'll do!"

"You five want lunch?" London said. She stood at the end of the table, hands on her hips, looking slightly exasperated. There was a chorus of affirmation. "There's sandwich materials over in that cupboard there," London said. "You make your own."

The Ninja started getting up from the table to go make their lunch.

Lloyd slapped Kai on the back - the Master of Fire jumped. "Come on," Lloyd said. "Let's go get you a sandwich, how about?"

Kai sat for a second, composing himself. Lloyd felt the hand in his fingers forcibly relax, and saw the frustration in Kai's features. Then Kai looked up. "Yeah," he said, his voice pained. "Yeah, let's do that."

* * *

Scrap and Junk

8:09 PM, the day before

* * *

Nya furrowed her brow.

"So," she said. "Let's have a recap. Eleven years ago, you joined a man in studying Whisperers, and three years later assisted this man in developing a powerful magic called Shauto, and have been leading a double-life as parent to Jay and secret undercover agent working to save the world."

They all sat at the table, leaning forward over empty dishes. For once, listening to the Walkers wasn't completely infuriating, and they found themselves riveted to every word.

"Ah, close," Ed said, scratching the back of his head. "We're not members of the Five anymore. And it was _twelve_ years ago that we started - others had been working for longer. There were five of us, like our name states. We studied the Whisperers for about three years, before... before an untimely death." He paused, and looked down at the table. "Ah, sorry, it's still just a little bit tender to speak about," he said. "We worked with him in studying the Whisperers. He was a good man..."

"What was his name, if you will?" Misako asked.

"Dobryak," Ed said. "His name was Dobryak. He was killed by one of the Whisperers just four years after we joined the researching group. That's when we knew that we had to do something, and London had a brilliant idea to continue developing a healing system that Dobryak had been studying."

"Wait," Wu said. "Who is London?"

"London Brookstone," Edna said. "Very smart woman, genius, even. Another one of the researchers."

There was a shocked silence.

"Brookstone?" Wu said. He leaned backwards in his chair. "_Brookstone_?!"

Nya, too, was astonished. "That's _Cole's_ last name, isn't it?" she said. "Was Cole's mother a researcher, too?"

"Cole?" Ed said, surprised. "Come to think of it, the name does ring a bell. He must have been London's little boy."

Garmadon, Nya, Misako and Wu all exchanged looks. "Keep going," Garmadon said. "You were saying something about a healing system Dobryak was developing?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, yes... London thought there was more to the method than just healing. She said she could feel it when she used it, that it was something more. We ended up further developing the magic until it could be used to do virtually anything. We discovered that it wasn't a magic... it was an art, long forgotten, rediscovered by us."

"Shauto can do amazing things, like shield you, heal you, allow you to identify souls' positions in space, and defend yourself against the Whisperers," Edna said. "It's typically identified by a flash of green light, and an Amid ritual."

Garmadon stood up suddenly, all eyes turning to him. His eyes were wide. "A flash of green light," he repeated urgently. He turned to Wu. "A flash of green light. Where have we seen that before, brother?"

Wu gasped. "Gom," he said, alarmed. "An art, long forgotten, did you say, Ed?"

Ed nodded.

"I knew it!" Garmadon said. "Wu, you remember father doing strange things with his hands? And the green light? And the words we couldn't understand?"

"Of course I do," Wu said. "That must have been Shauto!"

"It all makes sense," Garmadon said, running his hands through his gray hair. "It all makes sense! It was Shauto! That's why he could do all those weird things! _That's_ why he always knew where we were!"

"That's what he used," Wu murmured.

Ed and Edna both nodded. "That makes sense!" Ed said eagerly. "Shauto is an endless energy supposedly only ever fully unlocked by the First Spinjitzu Master - at least, that's what London thought. She also had two other theories (she was quite avid about it all): one, that even if you didn't use the entirety of Shauto, with the symbols and rituals and everything, that _every_ _time_ _you_ _use_ _Spinjitzu_, you unlock a bit of Shauto for yourself."

"That would make sense," Wu said, nodding his head.

"Wait," Nya said. "How come it's not green, then? Spinjitzu, I mean."

Ed shrugged. "We should ask London. I believe that she's still hard at work with her new Five, protecting NinjaGo - she could probably tell you. The other theory she had was that Shauto was the art that the First Spinjitzu Master used to create the world - she thinks that Shauto still has many untold possibilities, possibilities that we may never unlock, simply because we are mortal."

"Wow," Garmadon said. Misako tugged on his sleeve, and he reluctantly sat back down. "All this time, _Shauto_..."

Edna laughed. "Learn something new every day," she said.

"Today, I've learned fifty," Nya put in, grimacing.

Ed grinned.

"But, yeah... we unlocked Shauto, and defended the Whisperers for about three years. But we were getting... old. Tired. Done. We needed to raise Jay, too, and he was taking up so much of our time. We couldn't fight the Whisperers, in our state."

"But we didn't want to just leave London. By now, everyone else had quit, for reasons of their own - we had to leave, for Jay, and the Doctor had other pursuits that had sentimental value to him involving children, too. London was basically running everything herself," Edna said.

"So we gathered a group of kids to train as the next generation of covert defenders. One was Dobryak's daughter, the others were two genius twin orphans. Names, December, Amilia, Azamat. Our last act together as a team of researchers was training these three to help save the world... well, technically four, but the last one didn't come until later. Ed and I didn't get to train him.

"We haven't used Shauto for years," Ed said sheepishly. "We're just a _little_ rusty."

"Which brings us to another big pickle," Edna added. "That Whisperer was powerful. The woman, Eboni, had to have been using Hidoi to control it. It must have been stationed somewhere in the City, which means that the City isn't safe... and London doesn't know that."

"Y'see, NinjaGo City is supposed to be the safest place in all of NinjaGo; the first big thing we did with Shauto as a group was place a protection over it and a bunch of other small villages, like Ignacia and Jamonakai. That the Whisperers have somehow bypassed it - !"

"Wait," Nya interrupted. "Wait, wait... are people controlling the Whisperers, or are the Whisperers controlling people?"

Ed and Edna paused. "Well," Edna said. "One thing that we've gathered about Whisperers is that they don't have intelligence. I mean, not that they don't have intelligence... just no will of their own. The only thing on their minds is entropy. There's no way that they could be controlling a Ninjagian, at least, control them and _understand_ what they were doing. No, someone has to be controlling _them_... using Hidoi."

Misako raised her hand. "What's Hidoi, again?" she said.

"Basically," Ed explained, "it's the opposite of Shauto. Black magic, driven by hate and fear rather than peace and freedom. None of us studied it - didn't dare. It was never lost to mortals like Shauto was, but was handed down from generation to generation. Only a few people know it now, and those who do are completely consumed by it. Pure evil. Ain't one Hidein gone straight throughout the history of NinjaGo."

"Hidein...?"

"Oh, that's what someone who knows and uses Hidoi is called. Someone who knows Shauto is called a Shautei," Edna said.

Nya leaned back in her chair. "So we have a group of completely evil people controlling completely evil, practically immortal monsters, and we have no idea what their goal is."

There was a brief silence. Then the weight of the situation seemed to sink in. Garmadon blew air out through his lips, and Misako closed her eyes.

"This is bad," Ed said, looking like he wanted to stand up and pace the kitchen. "This is worse than I thought... ohhh, this is really, really bad, ohhh, we're hooped. If they know who _you_ are, Nya, they have to know about Jay and the others, and we have no idea what they're planning but if there's someone like Eboni in control of the Whisperers then we know that nothing good is ever going to come of it!"

There was a brief silence.

"What do we do?" Wu said.

"How about go to bed?" Edna and Ed suggested at the same time.

"Ahh... I meant about this whole problem," Wu amended.

"Oh. I thought that was obvious," Ed said. "First thing tomorrow morning, we need to notify London that the City isn't safe. Second thing, we need to find out who is controlling the Whisperers, what they want, and how we're going to stop them. Third, although we probably won't get to it right away, we need to stop them. Sound like a plan?"

By now, Nya and the others had learned to just roll with whatever crazy things Ed and Edna said; the fact that both of them were suddenly so untroubled was practically unnoticeable. "We also need to find Jay and the others," she said. "Right now, we have no idea where they are."

"Oh, yes, that too," Ed and Edna said, nodding solemnly. "Let's go to bed."

"Uh, alright," Nya said.

Ed and Edna stood up, while everyone else stayed seated, slow to react to such a random change in topic. "The couch pulls out to become a bed," Edna said, pointing. "We could have Lord Garmadon and Misako sleep in our bed, and then Wu could sleep on the couch, and me, Ed and Nya can sleep on the ground. How about that?"

Garmadon said, "Uh, first off, my name isn't _Lord_ Garmadon, just Garmadon," he said, for the third time that evening. "Second, we can't kick you out of your bed!"

"Oh, it's fine, Lord Garmadon," Ed said. "We can sleep on the ground, it's no trouble. Is everything set? Oh, wait, Nya, we have some sleeping bags in the closet, let me get one for you -"

"Wait," Wu cut in. Everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Yes?" Ed said.

"What was the researcher's name?" Wu said. "You told us there were five of you - Dobryak, London, you, Edna and someone else who founded the whole ordeal. Who was that?"

"I didn't tell you?" Ed said, surprised.

"No."

"Oh, haha, silly me. The researcher's name was Julien... Doctor Julien."


	17. Fruitloops

Fruitloops

* * *

Scrap and Junk

8:40 AM

* * *

Garmadon had not slept well. He had gotten maybe five hours of fitful sleep after staying up contemplating on it all; the Shauto, the Whisperers, the Hidoi, the plans for today... Now he felt like he was going to pass out if he stayed in one place for too long.

Breakfast was a tired ordeal, mostly. Nya, Misako, and Wu looked almost as tired as he was. The Walkers had apparently slept fine, as they were as chipper and chatty as ever; of course, they hadn't had a lost magical art, immortal bad guys, hypnotism and the discovery of a secret agency dumped on them like that.

Garmadon had to admit, though, the Walkers were smart. Despite their random quips and unfailing silliness, they were about as smart as it got. Garmadon could see where Jay got his lightning reflexes - and his lightning mouth.

_The_ _Walkers_ _are just_ _fruitloops_, Garmadon decided, rubbing his eyes and groaning tiredly. _There's_ _no_ _other_ _explanation_.

As smart as the Walkers were, though, something seemed to have stumped them.

Garmadon, Wu and Nya were watching Ed tinker with a metal bracelet, which he had claimed was a "wrist communicator". It was supposedly the only way to complete their first object of business, which was to notify London that the City wasn't safe. Small, rusted metal parts littered the table, and Ed's worried voice broke up the silence.

"Oh, dear," Ed said, sighing. He leaned back from the bracelet on the table and looked over his shoulder at his wife, cleaning the dishes with Misako's aid. "Take a note, Edna. It looks like the whole thing is rusty."

"The whole thing?" Edna repeated, looking over at him with surprise.

Ed nodded, setting down his screwdriver. It rolled across the table.

"Why is it so rusty?"

"The last time I used this," Ed said, picking up the wrist communicator. His features drooped. "I was in the ocean. I don't think I've touched it since. It's been... what... eight years since that incident?"

Edna nodded.

"What about yours? Did you use it at all while we were helping the Juliens?"

"I don't remember, Ed. I don't even think I know where it is..."

Garmadon moaned and let his head fall into his arms.

"Why do you have to use the wrist communicator?" Misako asked.

"London doesn't have a cell phone," Ed explained. "We use wrist communicators. One of the new Five, oh, I don't remember her name... Started with an 'A'... made them. That way we could work with a secure line, and not risk having our conversations overheard or intruded on. The only way to contact her would be either to use the wrist communicators or teleport to the base unannounced."

"Teleport?" Nya said, intrigued. "You can teleport?"

"Yes. I think. I haven't done it before," Ed admitted. "London developed it after we left, and we never got a teleportation coin, so... that's not even really an option. So we kind of have to find Edna's communicator and make sure _that_ one isn't rusted out, too, or else we're all in big trouble."

"What if it _is_ rusted out?" Nya said.

Ed scratched his head and thought. Then he laughed; it was a nervous, half-hearted laugh. "Why, I'd have to construct a new one from scratch," he said.

A silence greeted his words.

"How long would that take?" Wu said softly.

"I don't know," Ed said. "Probably a day?... at the most. More likely, eight hours."

"Great," Garmadon said sarcastically. He leaned back in his chair. "So, we need to find this other communicator which may or may not work, and if it doesn't, then we need to build a new one from scratch. How much better could this get?"

"Not to mention," Nya added, "we need to find and potentially stop a mysterious group with nearly immortal weapons... and if any of them are anything like William or Eboni were, _that's_ not going to be easy."

"That's right, William nearly beat you," Ed said, tapping his chin.

"Eboni said he was an apprentice," Nya said. She, too, looked worried. "If one of their _novices_ can beat me, then either I've gotten rusty, or we're dealing with opponents Sensei Wu's level, on average."

Ed nodded.

There was another silence.

"We should get looking," Misako said. "The sooner we find that communicator, the sooner we can put a stop to them."

"Right," Edna said. They all stood up from the table.

Ed took charge. "So, Sugar Plum, where are some likely places that you might have put your communicator?"

Edna thought, stepping away from the empty sink and drying her hands on her jeans. "Well," she said slowly, looking up as she thought. "It seems like I may have put it in the closet in our bedroom."

"I'm sure we've cleaned out the closet within eight years," Ed said impatiently. "Where else?"

"I don't know, Ed, it could be _anywhere_ by now."

"We ought to get looking, then," Ed said. "We have a whole junkyard to search."

"The _entire_ _Junkyard_?" Garmadon cut in, aghast. "Surely you jest."

Ed and Edna looked at him. "Of course not," they said together, voices echoing with surprise.

Garmadon gritted his teeth, then rolled his eyes. _Idiot_. _Of_ _course_ _they_ _don't_ _jest_, he thought venomously. _These_ _are_ _the_ _fruitiest_ _scientists_ _in_ _the_ _world_.

"Like Edna said," Ed explained, "it could be anywhere. Who knows where something like that could have ended up within eight years? It's more than likely somewhere in the junkyard."

Misako, Wu, Nya and Garmadon nodded, reluctantly.

"It will take all of us to find it. Nya and Misako can help me search the house," Edna suggested, linking arms with the dazed Samurai and smiling.

"We'll start looking in the junkyard," Ed said. He turned to Garmadon and Wu. "Let's go start looking!"

Garmadon quelled his rising temper. What was it about this couple that infuriated him so much? Was it their unfailing naîtivity, their chattery disposition, or their maddeningly unconcerned demeanor?

"Alright," he finally managed through clenched teeth. "Where do we start?"

* * *

Jamonakai Village

10:30 AM

* * *

Gahiji slid with his back against the stone wall surrounding Jamonakai Village. He held up a fist, signaling for his sister to halt.

His silver eyes scanned the snowy path that led to the entrance to the village, looking past the stones and sparse amounts of people towards the mountain range beyond it. The two of them stood, backs pressed to the protective wall of Jamonakai Village. There was little beneath them except mountainside and the main staircase leading to the entrance to the village. Beneath the mountain stretched the evergreen forests of Akaia. It was bitter cold - warm, compared to the Jamonakai standard - but that didn't bother the Amidians.

Gahiji turned to December, who stood beside him, back pressed to the wall. "You want to do it?" he asked in Amid. December nodded, smiling underneath the dark red scarf covering her face. She flicked a rock out of her pocket, a See stone, and clutched in in her gloved hand.

"_Pokazhite_ _mne_ _potok_," she whispered. She blinked, her blue eyes now startlingly white.

Gahiji waited patiently for her to finish looking over their position. He calmly watched people walk past them, people unaware of the two Amidian personages standing hidden against the wall.

_Unaware_... _what_ _would_ _that_ _be_ _like?_ he wondered absently, picturing the sight that the two of them would make had they been discovered.

"Alright," December said, speaking in her mother tongue. She pointed up towards the summit of the mountain, and Gahiji's gaze followed her finger. "One hiding at the top." December then gestured to the pine forests beneath them. "Six in Akaia. Two at the foot of the mountain, four in the forest. How we splitting this?"

"You stay near the village," Gahiji directed quietly. "Take the one up top, and the two at the bottom. I'll get the rest."

December frowned, the expression hidden by her scarf. "Unfair, _Brat'_," she said.

"You injured yourself badly yesterday," Gahiji said. His tone was firm. "You're taking the three by the village."

"That wasn't my fault, Gahiji, you know it!"

"You're right. It was _my_ fault, and what happened yesterday is not happening again. Not on my watch," Gahiji hissed back. "You're lucky I let you come with me."

December pouted. Gahiji ignored her and pulled out his own See stone, whispering the ritual and letting Shauto's influence take him over.

Using See was like looking at a landscape covered in snow. Everything was swirling and white, like a blizzard, yet at the same time everything was completely still.

Then there were the glowing orbs floating everywhere around him. Orbs of every color, spheres of yellow, green, red, brown, blue, brown, pink, gray, purple, mingling with each other and talking with the voices of Ninjagians; they resonated with Gahiji, creating that familiar buzzing in his chest.

Souls.

The Whisperer's "eyes", the Soul Eyes, was what Gahiji compared the experience to. A Whisperer did not see its surroundings; not light, shadows, objects, walls, buildings, or people. What they did see was the presence of a person - and that was exactly what Gahiji was seeing right now. The colorful orbs were all the souls of the people passing them left and right. Each soul was its own color. Of course, he was not seeing the souls the same way a Whisperer did, not exactly.

Hidoi couldn't replicate Shauto.

Gahiji lifted his gaze from the Ninjagian souls to Jamonakai's peak, which was faintly outlined in a thin line of gray differentiating it from the white sky. The Whisperer wasn't hard to find; a stark black splatter of ink on a blank canvas. There were two black stains at the foot of the mountain, like December had reported, and four in a group, one nearby but obviously detached, wandering around the forest; the forest a sea of gray outlines of trees.

"Alright," Gahiji said, gauging the distance of each Whisperer from their position. He loosened his grip on the stone, blinking as his normal vision returned. The rainbow orbs disappeared, replaced with the bodies of people walking through the village, and the whiteness of his surroundings faded to its actual colors.

He turned to his sister. "You ready?"

She glared at him, then relented. "Whatever," she huffed. "But don't expect me to give _you_ such easy pickings when you impale yourself with a tree branch again."

"Hey," Gahiji said warningly. Then he relaxed, and ruffled December's boy-short white hair. "Take it easy, alright, _ses_? I just don't want you hurt again."

"You think I'm going to hurt myself on such an easy Singe?" December said. She pushed Gahiji's hand off of her hair and flicked his cheek.

Gahiji reached into his cloak and pulled out his teleportation coin, adjusting his own dark gray scarf over his mouth. He tossed it in the air and caught it, then brought it to his scarf and whispered, "Akai."

The teleportation coin glowed orange, and his tattoos flashed bright green; the Shauto traveled up his arm, reached his neck, and connected with his mind, reading his thoughts and transferring it back through his arm to the coin, which whirred with electricity. _This_ _coin_ _is_ _really_ _quite_ _something_, Gahiji thought, for the umpteenth time. _Only_ _London_ _could_ _come_ _up_ _with_ _something_ _so_ _brilliant_. He didn't know the specifics of how it worked himself, but it _did_ work, and that was what he cared about.

All he could hope was that Amilia actually _had_ taken out that dopamine.

Gahiji felt the familiar rush of the teleportation fade as the air around him changed. The transition made the warm air of the forest feel almost stuffy. He got his bearings quickly, however, and he looked around at his shadowy surroundings, blinking to help his eyes adjust to the darkness.

If his coin hadn't malfunctioned, he should be about forty yards from the foot of the mountain and six from the first three Whisperers. Gahiji pulled his Rescue stone from his cloak, crouching among the sparse undergrowth, nearly completely hidden in the dark folds of the forest.

He could hear them interacting with each other, their soft whisperings like the hush of a tree in a strong wind and the rasp of a snake's hiss. He spotted the swish of their shadowy figures not but four paces away. Gahiji figured that he had probably about ten seconds before they realized he was there.

Gahiji glanced down at his Rescue stone, which was barely visible in the shade of the forest. If he was going to take on all three of these monsters, he would need a lot more power than what this small stone would offer.

Gahiji hefted the small rock, switching hands so that he was clutching the stone with his left and pulling out his Shatuo pen with his right. He crouched beneath the low branches of an evergreen, wrapping his arm around the trunk of it and drawing a circle on the rough bark with the pen. He punctuated it.

The hissing of the Whisperers stopped. Gahiji bit his lip as the edge of their indistinct figures crept slowly from their hiding place towards him; he retracted his hand from around the tree and shoved his pen back in his cloak.

The whispering began again. It grew and swelled until a melody crept through the dissonance of the hushed sounds... the hushed voices. Gahiji ignored it.

He slapped his hand to the Shauto symbol on the tree and clutched the stone tighter. "_Zlo_ _budet_," he said. The symbol on the tree and the tattoos both emanated green light, and the singing stopped.

One of the Whisperers screamed. It was joined by the two others.

Gahiji waited patiently as they howled in agony. It generally took them about five seconds to vanish completely.

The screaming tapered off to a echoing wail, then stopped altogether.

Gahiji let go of the tree and dropped his Rescue stone in his pocket. He stood up, setting about calculating how far he would have to run before he would find the the last Whisperer.

Then a sharp pain blossomed in his hand. Gahiji stumbled backwards into the tree, gasping as he fell back into the branches; he touched his hand, feeling something jutting out of his palm.

He looked up to the place where the Whisperers had been, thinking that one of them might have survived and used an element to lash out at him. But there was nothing there.

Gahiji gritted his teeth, running his thumb over the edge of the shuriken that had impaled his hand, tugging it free of his palm with a grunt. Hot blood dripped from his hand to the ground.

He crouched down, clenching his fist and scanning the dark forest for his opposer.

There was silence. Gahiji listened intently, wrapping his hand over the dagger in his belt.

Then he ducked. Something whizzed over his head, hovering for less than a second before returning, like a boomerang, from where it had come from - Gahiji's right. Without a moment's hesitation, Gahiji drew his dagger and threw it.

Impact. A cry of shock and pain.

Gahiji jumped up from his crouch and took off in its direction, pushing past low, needle-covered branches, watching the ground beneath him as he ran. In the darkness he spotted his fallen foe, and skidded to a halt in the undergrowth, stooping down beside him. The man moaned in pain.

Gahiji pulled his knife out of the man's knee and cracked him on the head with the pommel of his blade, rendering him unconscious.

Gahiji caught his breath, wrapping his bloody hand in his cloak, examining his attacker as best he could in the near pitch black.

The man was wearing goggles, probably night-vision. Gahiji peeled them off, examining his features and committing them to memory. He couldn't tell much by his uniform, but by the feel of the fabric there was protective padding on his legs and arms. No pads on his knees, of course. The one place that Gahiji would hit. He was armed with a pistol, which Gahiji pocketed.

Something was humming lowly in his open hand. Gahiji gazed at it for a while before he realized that there was a shuriken suspended in the air above the man's hand. Fascinated, Gahiji cocked his head, determining the relationship between the man's glove and the razor-like shuriken to be magnetic. _This_ _is_ _what_ _they threw at me_, he reflected. The man's other hand was empty, but when Gahiji pulled out the shuriken that had stabbed his hand and held the weapon over it, it began whirling, and stayed in the air above the man's hand when Gahiji let go.

_Amazing_, he thought.

Something whizzed past his ear. Gahiji leaned backwards reflexively, barely dodging the shuriken. He looked to the side, caught a glimpse of a goggled face in the darkness, and bolted.

Footsteps pursued him; at least three sets of them. Gahiji cursed as he sprinted through the darkness, watching his feet carefully as he ran. He was at a major disadvantage - whoever was attacking him could see in the dim light. In the scuffle with the first man, Gahiji had forgotten which direction the mountain was in. And if his current pursuers were fitted like the first was, they all had a gun.

That pretty much limited his options.

Gahiji gritted his teeth, watching rocks and roots fly past him on the ground as he avoided another tree. Any second now, he would stumble on something, and that would be the end of him. He kept running, concentrating on tolerating the unevenness of the ground, ignoring the needle-covered branches whipping his face as best he could.

There was no way he could fight his attackers. He would have to flee.

Gahiji scrabbled in his cloak for his coin. To use it, he would have to stop in his tracks and flip the coin before telling it where he needed to teleport, and he wasn't sure he could do that with his pursuers gaining on him.

_It's a good thing that I'm freakishly_ _tall, then_, Gahiji thought. He pumped his long legs harder. Within moments, he could hear his pursuers' muffled footsteps fading - he was losing them.

Gahiji smiled, panting as he watched the ground stretch beneath him. Dirt and rocks flew past, and his speed was exhilarating.

Too fast.

He faltered; his foot caught on a root, and he soared for a long, silent moment. Then he crashed against a tree, landing in a huff on the forest floor.

Everything grew unfocused and slow, swirling darkness and white spots invading his vision. Gahiji grunted, cold pain stabbing at his collarbone, and fumbled his coin out, tossing it in the air and catching it weakly.

"December," he spat at it. The teleportation coin glowed orange. Gahiji groped at his shoulder, which had gone from cold pain to burning agony, swallowing air so hard and fast that each breath was like inhaling a knife.

Boots pounded on the ground, getting louder with each thud of impact. Gahiji felt the Shauto flow through his tattoos, illuminating the forest around him with a soft green light; he clutched the coin, watching three goggled faces flash in the green light, and the pistol cocked and pointed at him.

He teleported.

* * *

Scrap and Junk

10:30 AM

* * *

Nya opened the door of the trailer and poked her head out. "Mr. Walker?" she called.

She looked around. The Junkyard around her was void of life; no one answered her for a moment. Then Ed's face popped in front of hers, upside-down and grinning widely.

Nya shouted in surprise and jumped backwards. Ed was on the roof of the trailer, leaning over it to talk to her. "Hi," he said.

"There you are," Nya managed, taking a deep breath. "You scared me."

"Sorry, dear," Ed said. "What do you need?"

"We were just wondering how the search was going?"

"Oh, it's going fine. Haven't found anything yet, but we've already sorted through almost half the junkyard in the two hours we've been looking. Almost."

"Wow... and, uh, what are you doing on the roof?"

Ed gestured to Nya's other side, and she turned; there was a ladder on the side of the trailer. "Wanna come help?"

Nya took hold of the ladder and climbed up. She was surprised to find Sensei Wu on the roof as well. "What are you doing up here?" she asked again, as Ed leaned down to catch her hand and help her up.

"Looking for Montgomery," Wu said with a sigh. "We can't find him anywhere. I think that we may have lost him."

"Lost him?" Nya repeated.

Ed nodded. "We've been digging through all the rubble and scrap parts," he said, pointing. Nya followed his finger to the towering mounds of junk surrounding the trailer. The garbage piles were like high-altitude, multicolored mountains, capped with broken lawn-mowers and tires instead of snow. "We've been through that pile, by the entrance... we might have lost him there, but we don't know for sure."

Nya's eyebrows raised, but she couldn't say she was surprised. She probably would have gotten lost in a mountain of junk like that, too. "How can I help?" she said.

"Yell at the top of your lungs," Ed said. He then cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "_Lord_ _Garmadon_!", squinting into the distance. Nya hesitated, then copied him.

"Garmadon!" she yelled.

Wu called, too. "Gom! Gom, where are you?"

"Lord Garmadon... Lord Garmadon!"

"Garmadon!"

Ed sighed. "I don't think this is working," he said. "Let's go look for him."

He braced himself, then took a flying leap off the trailer, landing in the sand and rolling to absorb the impact.

As Nya and Wu climbed down the ladder, he gradually stopped rolling, ending with a flop, facing the sky. He laughed.

"Woooh," he said, when the others reached the bottom. "That was fun."

"Are you sure you should be jumping from the roof like that, Mr. Waker?" Nya said. "You might hurt yourself."

"Nah," Ed said, jumping to his feet. His eyes twinkled with laughter, and they reminded Nya sharply of Jay. "I do it all the time."

Ed led the way to the mountain of junk near the entrance. There were obvious signs of the pile having been sifted through; they had to wade through a sea of long-out-of-commission printers, broken light fixtures and smashed instruments.

They reached the house-sized junk pile. "Lord Garmadon?" Ed called, peering at the mountain. He stumbled over a dismantled piano bench, but caught hold of a protruding bicycle from the mound of junk before he could fall over. "Lord Garmadon..."

"Where is he?" Nya said, looking around. She couldn't see Lloyd's father anywhere.

"Lord Garmadon!" Ed shouted again.

"Wait," Wu said, reaching over and touching Ed's shoulder. "Listen!"

They fell silent. Nya heard a muffled shout.

"Gom?" Wu said.

"How - many - freaking - times - do - I - have - to - say - _my_ \- _name_ \- _isn't_ \- _Lord Garmadon!_" came an angry voice from the junk pile.

"Gom?" Sensei Wu said, sounding astonished. He, Ed and Nya leaned forward towards the pile of junk, listening.

There was a shout of effort, and the bicycle that Ed was leaning on tipped as something within the junk mountain pushed at his surroundings - Ed lost his balance and toppled over with a yelp.

"What do you think I am, the Junkyard Monster?" Garmadon demanded sarcastically. "Get me the heck out of this death trap!"

"Dig him out!" Ed spluttered, from where he lie on his back in the middle of the sea of trash. Nya and Wu bent down, frantically pulling garbage away from the junk pile. Garmadon aided in his escape, pushing against the surrounding footstools and computer screens while his brother and the Samurai threw aside keyboards and ceramic flowerpots.

There was a bang as Garmadon's fist whacked the underside of something big and metal. Nya and Wu cleared away enough debris to see a large, rusted, car door that had the old man pinned beneath the rest of the junk. "How did you get trapped under a car door?" Nya said, leaning down to try and pry it off him.

Wu cleared his throat awkwardly. "It occurs to me," he said, "that _that_ might be the car door that Ed and I threw off the top of the pile."

Nya looked up, at the top of the pile, which was about ten meters off the ground. She turned and gave her Sensei a strange look. "You threw a car door from that height?" she said.

"We weren't aiming for him," Wu objected, when Garmadon banged his fist against the door again.

"Get me out of here!" he shouted.

Nya pulled. Then she let out a long breath, stepping back and rubbing her hands together. "I can't get it up," she said breathlessly. "Help me!"

Ed had gotten to his feet, and he and Wu bent over to help her lift it. "On three," Nya said. "One, two, _three_!"

With a heave, they pulled the door off the man beneath it, setting it to the side of the junk mound. Garmadon was squished awkwardly, sitting on his ankles, his arm at an angle that had to be less than comfortable; he was covered in a film of dust, and there were scratches in his arms and on his face. He groaned when he stretched his limbs for the first time in at least forty-five minutes. "_Oww_," he said.

Wu caught Garmadon's hand and pulled him to his feet. "Are you alright?" Wu said.

Garmadon looked both annoyed and relieved. "Man, it was stuffy in there," he murmured, rolling his shoulders. "Took you long enough to find me, dang it."

Sensei Wu sheepishly helped Garmadon dust himself off. Ed wiped his forehead with his sleeve.

"This isn't going to work," he said with a long sigh. Everyone looked to him. "We're never going to find it in all this. I'm going to have to just build a new communicator. Thanks for helping, though."

Garmadon, Nya and Wu all gave a moan. "So I sat under that car door for an hour for _nothing_?" Garmadon said.

"Yeah... sorry," Ed said.

Garmadon huffed and crossed his arms.

Ed waved his arm. "Let's go inside and tell Edna and Lord Garmadon's wife that they can stop looking. Come on."

Ed started walking away. Sensei Wu, Nya, and Garmadon all followed him, Wu helping Garmadon stand up straight. Lloyd's father was annoyed as he pointedly told Ed, "Her name is Misako, and don't call me Lord Garmadon! I'm not evil anymore. This is the sixth time I've said it."

Ed glanced over his shoulder, then turned back to face the trailer. "I know you're not evil," he said with a shrug. "But I can't think of you as anything other than Lord Garmadon... and plus, you haven't told me what I should call you instead, so I'm just going to call you Lord Garmadon, 'kay?"

Garmadon growled. "It's _just_ _Garmadon_," he said, stressing the words. "Just call me _Garmadon_, alright?"

"Sure thing, Lord Garmadon - I mean, Garmadon," Ed said hastily. Garmadon clenched his fists.

"Better," he muttered.


	18. Self-Pity and What It Means to Azamat

Self-Pity And What It Means To Azamat

* * *

Down, Takigyo Garden

* * *

Bliss.

Sweet, untouched bliss.

The water crashed down on Kai's shoulders, cold and powerful, sending a stabbing agony from his back through his entire body.

The waterfall's rejuvenating pain was almost beautiful...

The pain was so relentless that he was numb. All he knew was the clear water folding over his body, residual rivulets of water splitting at his shoulders and trickling down his chest and arms into the waist-deep pool, and the smooth, worn pebbles beneath his feet.

Nothing else. No fear, no thoughts - nothing.

_ Bliss_.

* * *

Scrap and Junk, kitchen

1:45 PM

* * *

"So, the question is, how are we going to find our enemy, let alone fight them?" Misako asked Wu, who sat across from her. Sensei Wu leaned back in his chair, white brow furrowed, and drummed his fingers on the wooden table.

"Let's think," he said, finally. "Our situation is this: Enemy possesses powerful elemental ghosts and weaponry. We don't know who they are, how to find them, or what they want. The Ninja are gone, they're not responding to calls or texts, and we have no way of finding out where they are or if they're even alive. Only two of us know how to defeat the Whisperers, and we can't currently contact people who can help us; the soonest we'll be able to is tonight, when Ed gets the communicator finished, and we could be attacked at any point between now and then. We don't know if the Destiny's Bounty is safe. We're practically helpless."

A grim silence met his words.

"That's a pretty good recap," Nya said.

"Not proud of it," Sensei Wu murmured, letting his head fall into his hands.

"What are we supposed to do?" he murmured.

The question swirled in the quiet kitchen. Despair hit them; there wasn't much they _could_ do, as it stood. Misako's mind raced for something to counter the overwhelming dread of facing this impossible situation.

"We could..." Nya started, softly. She paused. "We could go back to the pizzeria and check out around there...?"

Wu shook his head. "The problem with going back is that they have the Whisperers," he said. "They'll be waiting for us for sure."

There was another silence.

"Could we learn Shauto?" Misako asked Edna, who shook her head.

"It's not something you could learn in a day," Edna said. "It takes patience and time."

There was a collective sigh. Garmadon placed his arms on the table and let his head sink into them, closing his eyes; Nya copied Sensei Wu and hid her head in her hands. Edna was silent, for once... the situation was bad, and even Mrs. Walker was solemn.

Misako shoved her hand in her pockets with an exhale. Her fingers touched something hard; she closed her hand around the object, surprised, and pulled it out of her pocket.

It was her Vengestone powder. The very same that had nearly gotten her killed in the escape from Eboni. She began to absently turn the glass vial over in her fingers, watching the greenish-black dust slide from one end of the vial from the other.

"Look," Edna said suddenly, cutting through the silence. "Maybe we just aren't thinking about this the right way. Maybe all we need to do is expand our horizons. There has to be a way to find the bad guys, and to find the Ninja."

Misako appreciated the encouragement, but couldn't take it to heart. Couldn't even take it to her _head_; no matter how much she wracked her brains, she couldn't figure out what they could do. She continued turning the vial.

"Lovely thought, that," Garmadon replied sourly. "Tell us what we're doing wrong."

_What would Lloyd do?_ she thought suddenly. The vial in her hands stopped circulating.

Lloyd would say something uplifting. He'd rouse their spirits - would get them all on their feet even if they thought the situation was desperate. Of course, if Lloyd was here, the others would be here, too; Cole, Kai, and Zane would have their own encouraging quips, and Jay would crack a joke.

But Lloyd wasn't here. So the Ninja weren't.

If only they had been; then, Garmadon and the others might have stood a chance.

The thought of her son sent a pang of anxiety through her. She was worried... no word from the Ninja for two days. He could be anywhere. He could be held captive, or stuck somewhere with no help.

He could be dead.

The vial started turning again.

"Well, I - I don't _know_ what we're doing wrong," Edna said. "I just think we need to change the way that we're thinking about this; we're all looking at it like it's impossible. We just need to focus on the positivity. Yeah, the positivity!" She brightened. "It could be much worse than this. At least we have a possibility of contacting people who could help us; Eboni could have finished downloading the hard drive's contents. The Whisperer could have killed me or my husband. We're all still alive."

"Yeah, we're alive," Garmadon said. He gave a short laugh. "Not for much longer, though, if we can't figure out what to do."

Edna frowned. "Maybe we could... look at what we have, and figure out a way to use it to our advantage."

"What do we have to use?" Garmadon argued. He moved from resting his head on the table to leaning forward in his seat, glaring at the old woman, his tone escalating. "Yes, we're alive, yes, all we need to do is wait a few hours and then we'll have help, and _yes_, we were fortunate that we managed to stop Eboni, but what can we do? There are a lot of things to be grateful for in this situation, but _how do we get out of it_?"

Edna hesitated.

"Positivity isn't going to help," Garmadon said finally. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. The vial of powder in Misako's hands paused, then continued turning. "We don't have anything."

There was an unstable silence.

"Yes we do," Nya said.

Garmadon looked over at her, surprised.

Then Nya pulled something out of her pocket and placed it on the table. It was black and rectangular, with a dark screen. Everyone looked at her.

"We have my tracker," Nya said simply.

"Your tracker?" Garmadon said, leaning forward to look at it.

"Yes. It's the key to our solution," Nya explained. "It can hook up to the_ Destiny's Bounty's _system from long distances. I've already re-encrypted the Samurai X Suit and the _Bounty's_ information, surveillance, and primary functions, including flight. I can tap into the camera system, and then we can find out whether or not the _Bounty_ is safe."

Garmadon shook his head, stunned. "You - we - that's brilliant!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up to run them through his hair with relief. "But I thought that the surveillance was wrecked?"

"It was," Nya said, "but I could reboot it from here, with a few changes to the power source. The Bounty has some emergency functions that I can activate remotely. The information flow is electricity, while the main power is fuel; there's a lithium battery under the dashboard in the Bridge, and all the information banks are hooked to that. Theoretically, I could access the surveillance through that."

The kitchen's occupants let out a breath that they hadn't known they'd been holding.

"Brilliant," Garmadon said again, relief evident in his voice. "Yes, yes, that's a start."

Nya picked her tracker back up off the table. "If the _Bounty_ is safe, we can go back for weaponry and equipment," she said, flicking a keyboard out of the side of the device.

"Good," Sensei Wu said. "... I suppose we can't ask anything else out of you, Nya?"

Nya shook her head. "I think I know a way that we can find our enemy," she said.

Everyone leaned forward in their seats. "Really?" Misako said.

"Yeah. It's a good thing that Eboni didn't know I had this tracker. The way she wrecked the surveillance was she took the visuals and audio off; you can't see what's happening when you play the recordings back. But it's still recorded. When I reboot the cameras, we'll be able to see her wrecking the Bounty, how she did it, and if we're lucky, she'll have been communicating with someone. Basically, anything that she did believing that she wouldn't get found out will be accessible, through this." Nya held the tracker up. "And we might find a few leads there."

Misako felt relief wash over her at the mere prospect of having a lead.

"Nya, you're a genius," Garmadon said, beaming at her.

"It's all theoretical," Nya said again. Then she grinned. "But yeah, I guess I am a genius. Thanks."

"Oh, this is so great!" Edna said, taking Nya by the shoulders and squeezing her tightly. "I knew my son made the right choice!"

* * *

Down, control room

12:00

* * *

The orange teleportation glow around them faded as December regained her balance. She adjusted her older brother's position in her arms; a precarious one, seeing as he was about six years older than her and much bigger. Gahiji groaned - blood from his collarbone soaked December's shirt as she looked around frantically for somewhere to lay him.

"Hang in there, _braht'_," she said.

She spotted a swivel chair near the dashboard. The chair was closer than the infirmary. December ran to the dashboard and grabbed the swivel chair, gently setting her brother down into it, then whipped her peppermint extract out.

December pulled Gahiji's coat off, then ripped the collar of his bloody shirt, exposing his tattooed collarbone. She paled. The bone protruded from his skin, white and glistening with wet blood. "What the heck did you do, Gahiji?" she said, exasperated, breathless and nauseated.

"Don't stop because it looks bad, _hurry_ because it looks bad," Gahiji whispered. He looked ready to pass out from the pain.

"Alright, alright," December said. She hesitantly poured the peppermint onto her hands and drew the Heal symbol just beneath the jutting bone. "I'm so sorry, _braht'_," she tried to say, but Gahiji shook his head, gritting his teeth. Then she placed her hands on his chest, which was heaving as he breathed so hard and fast that it made December afraid to touch him.

"_Zhit', rebenok, i zlo ischeznet,_" December said quickly.

December didn't fancy to watch the bone return to its original state, so squeezed her eyes shut and focused all her energy into healing her brother's wound. She could hear it, though. Gahiji let out involuntary gasps and moans, and there was a sickening grind.

December kept her hands on Gahiji's chest for a few more moments, her heart beating fast in her ears. Gahiji simply lay back in the chair and breathed, his chest rising and falling with vigor. His blood and sweat wetted December's fingers.

"Thanks," Gahiji said finally, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

December opened her eyes and knelt down, clasping him in a tight hug. "_Braht'_," she whispered. Gahiji didn't react, still breathing too hard to answer her.

Then she stood up, looking Gahiji up and down. He feebly raised his eyes to meet hers. Satisfied that he had recovered well enough, she started yelling.

"How the heck did you get yourself this banged up?" she demanded.

"I can explain," Gahiji said weakly.

"It better be a good explanation," December said, putting her hands on her hips.

"They ambushed me," Gahiji said. He glared up at his sister, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. "A group of them. I had just gotten rid of the Whisperers when they jumped me and chased me halfway through the forest."

"They?"

"I'm pretty sure they were part of the organization from before. The one at the factory. They have to be, otherwise they couldn't have tracked me down." Gahiji put his hand to his forehead as if he was dazed, but his expression remained serious. "Which means that they not only know who we are, but yesterday's fiasco was a trap."

December tried to keep her stance angry, but this information caught her off guard. "How could someone have found out about the Five?" she said.

"I don't know. But the two Whisperers ambushing you yesterday was not a fluke. Someone put them there, someone masked their presence from us, and someone knew we were going to be there... this attempted assassination proves it. I don't think this organization, whoever they are, found out about us on accident."

Gahiji stood up. He shrugged off the effects of the Heal, to which his body was still adjusting, and stretched.

"So what do we do?" December asked finally.

"Talk to London," Gahiji responded as he rolled his shoulder. "Get things figured out. The factory can't be the only place this group is hiding themselves. They're trying to kill people who are saving the world. They can somehow control Whisperers, and they've found a way to break the Shatuo protection on the City."

"Do you have the answer to any of those problems?"

"Guesses. Educated ones." Gahiji glanced sideways at her. "But London probably has some, too. Before I guess at anything we need to tell her about this."

December agreed softly, and Gahiji turned. "What's your matter?" he said. December's acknowledgement had been unsure, and it caught him off guard.

December shook her head. "Nothing, _braht'_," she said. "But... but this is the first time in years we've encountered Hidein enemies. Well, Hidein _human_ enemies, who are gathered together in a group like this. Whoever these people are, we can't trifle with them."

"Right..." Gahiji paused. "Hidoi and numbers are not a good match. We'll have to be careful."

Hidoi. A magic - no, an art - just as powerful as Shauto. In some ways more powerful. Allowing utter control and near invincibility. But that power came with a price, and that price was your better judgement. Hidein were ruthless, cunning and traitorous, consumed by the power they possessed; the last time December had fought one had been three years ago, and she did not wish to repeat the act.

It did not help to know that a Hidein was still Ninjagian. Exterminating Whisperers was different; unbound creatures with no second thought about killing something, with no purpose except destruction must be destroyed. Exterminating Hidein, however; that was the death of a human.

Which was why December avoided fighting a Hidein, because they had no qualms about killing someone.

She couldn't return the feelings.

"By the way," Gahiji said. "Did you actually end up Rescuing the Whisperers I assigned to you, or...?"

December punched him. "You didn't give me a chance to, idiot," she said. "One minute you're taking on four Whisperers, the next crying to me."

Gahiji rubbed the back of his neck apologetically; he looked annoyed, but made no move to correct her. "We're still going to need to get rid of them," he said. He sighed.

"We can send Azamat out, so you can recover," December suggested.

"No," Gahiji said flatly. "The kid will get himself killed with these Hidein running around. I'll go."

"But -"

"I don't want Amilia out either... or you, for that matter."

December's mouth opened in offense. "Wh - you don't think I can take a Hidein?" she said, glaring at him.

Gahiji looked back at her, his silver eyes flashing. "I _know_ you can," he said. "And that's precisely why I don't want you fighting them."

December closed her mouth and clenched her fists. She didn't argue.

Gahiji sighed, then looked around the control room. "Where did you put my coat?" he asked.

"You're going right now?" December said, surprised.

Gahiji grabbed his black coat off the dashboard and slipped his arms through it, zipping it up. "I've got to Rescue those Whisperers," he said. "They're close enough to Jamonakai to be a threat to the people there."

December gaped at him. Then she shook her head, and put her hands on her hips. "You're too responsible for your own good," she said.

Gahiji didn't answer, but scowled at her as he flicked his teleportation coin out of his coat pocket. December had learned by now that a scowl was as close as Gahiji got to a smile.

* * *

Down, Takigyo Garden

8:00 PM

* * *

Azamat reached through the waterfall, its cold water folding over his hand, and clasped Kai's arm. "Hey, Galdaichin," he shouted over the roar of the water.

Kai didn't react at first. He just stood in the waterfall, either too deep in the meditation to hear him or ignoring the teenage boy. Azamat frowned, and tugged gently on Kai's arm.

"Galdaichin! Your session is over!" he called.

The Master of Fire finally relented, and stuck his head out of the waterfall's enveloping stream, gasping. "Over already?" he said breathlessly.

Azamat grinned, shook his head, and pulled Kai out of the waterfall's wake. "It actually ended a half hour ago," he said. "I let you have a bit more time though. Seemed to be helping."

Azamat led him through the pool towards the edge of the water. He glanced at his patient; Kai was pale and drenched, but had a sort of weary peace in his features. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Kai said. "I feel... amazing."

"Can you compare it to anything?"

"Ahh... Spinjitzu," Kai said. He sounded surprised that he had even said it. "It's the feeling I get when I do Spinjitzu, only a thousand times more... rejuvenating."

Azamat clambered out of the pool, offering Kai his hand to pull the Master of Fire out. "That's what I thought you'd say," he said.

Kai lifted himself out of the water with Azamat's help, and they both got to their feet, dripping. "Why?"

"Spinjitzu is a form of Shauto," Azamat said. "Or, London _thinks_ it's a form of Shauto. But she knew Spinjitzu, back in the day, so there's no arguing with her on that point. But it's almost the same process as Hone, only the level of concentration Spinjitzu requires is like... fifteen times more effort. Plus it's not nearly as scary."

"Yeah, so I've been meaning to ask you about that," Kai said, touching Azamat's shoulder as they walked to the side of the pool, where there was a rack of towels among the greenery. Azamat turned, surprised. "What's so hard about Hone?"

"Hm? Ah..." Azamat paused. "It's... so, the way it worked for me, was... It was kind of terrifying actually. Didn't think Shauto was capable of scaring someone like that."

"It scared you?" Kai said.

Azamat pulled a white towel off the rack and handed it to Kai. "Well... I wouldn't... yeah. Yeah, it was pretty scary." He took another towel and wrapped it around his shoulders, avoiding Kai's gaze. "It's different for everyone. But it's kind of like... speeding up life. Facing all the trials of your life in one big sitting, and having to deal with them all at once, I guess? No, that's not... Agg, it's hard to explain.

"But... well, it was like one nightmare after another in quick succession. Kind of a, um, summary of all my fears and flaws squished together and I had to deal with them all.

"There were a lot of scary choices I had to make. It didn't really help that I had just finished therapy a little bit before starting. Something like... like losing yourself in Shauto doesn't go away after a few months, and a lot of the things I experienced during that time influenced my Hone sessions, I think."

Azamat closed his eyes. Then he opened them, turning his head and grinning at Kai. "Ahh, look at me and my self-pity," he scoffed. "Hone worked, and I learned how to control Shauto; why am I complaining?"

Kai shook his head. "Sometimes you need self-pity," he said.

"Well,_ I_ don't need self-pity," Azamat said was a grimace. "It's a waste of space in my brain. Pitying myself is hypocritical, considering that after going crazy, I'm _way_ better off than I ever was as a kid." He shrugged. "Doesn't matter anymore though."

"_I _think it matters." Kai said.

Azamat glanced at him. His gaze slid over Kai's dripping form; his dark hair plastered the side of his face, amber eyes intently searching Azamat's own green ones. Then he laughed.

"You are so different from what I've heard," he said, earning him a bewildered look from Kai. "Hey, don't act so surprised - you Ninja saved NinjaGo, of course you're going to have people talking about you. I heard that you were a hothead and a stubborn jerk."

"Who told you that?" Kai demanded immediately.

"Well, that's the general opinion of NinjaGo," Azamat said, shrugging.

"What kind of - I'm not _that_ -" Kai spluttered. Azamat laughed watching Kai's face flush bright red.

"Hey, I was just saying," the boy added with a chuckle. "I thought you knew you had a fanclub."

"I knew I had a fanclub," Kai said, shaking his head. "Didn't know I was thought of as a jerk though."

"That's what I'm saying," Azamat said. "You're really different than everyone says. It just surprised me how... caring you are."

There was a silence. Azamat rubbed his head with the towel, absently drying his hair, then said, "We should probably go."

"Yeah," Kai agreed. Azamat led the way out of the garden, reaching the door to the rest of Down and opening it for Kai.

Kai paused as they started down the hallway. "I know you've kind of had your fill of talking about yourself," he said. Azamat glanced at him. "But can I ask you one more question?"

Azamat hesitated. Kai could ask him anything. Was he prepared to _answer_ anything?

"Of course," he said, without deciding to.

"Well, it was just about Shauto. What was it like?... To lose yourself in it, I mean. All Lloyd told me was that you used it incorrectly."

Azamat fought a grimace. He furrowed his brow. "Uh. Hm. That's..."

"Sorry... if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. I was just curious."

"No, I should tell you." Azamat shook his head. He shoved his hands in his wet pockets, the towel draped over his bare shoulders. "It was... beautiful. Overwhelmingly so. So much truth, information, beauty, light... it was so beautiful it was _agonizing_. It felt like my soul was being ripped apart."

Azamat faltered. He pursed his lips and swallowed.

"I'm sorry," Kai said quickly. "I didn't mean to upset you, I -"

"It's fine," Azamat said. He turned his head, smiling at Kai. "It's not a big deal anymore. It's just a little painful to talk about."

"I -"

"It's _fine_," Azamat repeated. "Trust me. I'm over it."

Kai looked at him for a long time as they walked through the hall. Azamat knew that Kai didn't believe him. It was bold for a fifteen-year-old to say he was over something so catastrophic. Azamat was as over it as he would ever be.

Kai said, softly, "Thanks for telling me."

Azamat shrugged. "Sure. I just -"

He stopped. He twirled around, peering at the door they had just passed.

Kai halted, too. "What is it?" he said.

Azamat gave a short laugh. "There's someone in the Physical Training Room," he said, backtracking and peering at the slightly ajar door. Kai followed. "Sorry, that just caught me off guard. There's not usually anyone in there at this hour."

The boy pushed the door open further, poking his head inside. He laughed. "Ahh, that's funny. I see some of your buddies, Galdaichin - agg, can I just call you Kai?"

"Uh, yeah, call me Kai. Can we go in?"

"Yeah."

Azamat opened the door and went inside. He could see two ninja at the far end of the gym, mere blurs of gray and blue Spinjitzu tornados. "This is either extra credit, or Walker and Julien just miss the training course - can I call _them_ by their first names, too?"

"Yeah."

"What are their names? I don't actually know."

"Oh, uh, Julien is Zane and Walker is Jay."

"Ah. Zane Julien and Jay Walker." Azamat started laughing. "Jay Walker. _Ha_. What a name." He then cupped his hands to his mouth and called out to them. "Jay! Zane! Hey!"

The tornados slowed, and out of them stepped both ninja. Kai and Azamat both waved, and they waved back.

"Come on," Azamat said. He led Kai around the training course towards Jay and Zane.

"Hello, Kai!" Zane said, looking delighted and confused. "How are you feeling?"

"Awesome," Kai said with a smile.

"What are you guys doing here?" Azamat said, cocking his head at the floor, where he could see long black lines connecting and making a box.

"Ah, just getting a little more practice," Jay said. "It's kind of important that we learn Shauto, after all. Didn't think it'd be so fun though." He put his hands on his hips. "What a way to learn."

"Sure looks like you're having fun," Azamat agreed.

"Is this how you train?" Kai said suddenly, gesturing to the lines on the floor.

Zane nodded. "Yes," he said. "This is our training area. The box on the floor is so that Shauto can be contained, and we don't lose ourselves in it."

"All we do is hold rocks and do Spinjitzu," Jay said with a smile. "It's really easy."

Kai looked interested. "Cool," he said. "So... when can _I_ start doing this stuff?"

"Why can't you start?" Azamat said.

"Wh - _can_ I start?"

"Yeah. Let's do it right now!"

Azamat smiled to see Kai's face light up. The Master of Fire was obviously thrilled; Azamat had almost forgotten what that excitement felt like, but looking at Kai and seeing his enthusiasm brought it all flooding back to him.

Jay motioned for Kai to follow him. "Alright," he said. "So, you wear these gloves and hold this rock, and just do Spinjitzu for a half hour or so." He took off his Connection Gloves and handed them, along with the stone he had been holding, to Kai.

"That's it?" Kai said.

"That's it. Apparently we're about as in-tune with Shauto as it can get without knowing it, because we're Elemental Masters, and we've earned our True Potential, not to mention we're Elemental Masters of the elements that Shauto relies the most on, we know Spinjitzu, da da da... Sounds like destiny, eh?"

Kai shook his head and snorted as he pulled on the gloves. "Destiny... yeah, right."

Azamat raised his hand. "Don't dismiss destiny so quickly. I mean, practically all of your parents helped develop Shauto. And you guys are kind of super heroes already..."

Azamat trailed off at the shocked look on the others' faces. "What?" he said, a little put off.

The mood swung violently. "What do you mean?" Zane said softly. "_All_ our parents helped develop Shauto?"

Azamat's eyes widened, and he clamped his mouth shut. "I thought you all knew," he stammered. "I thought London told you! I -!" Azamat was horrified. How come London hadn't told them? They needed to know what part their parents had played in the development of Shauto before they started learning it; hadn't London remembered that?

"Wait," Jay interrupted, confused and a little angry. "So, Cole's not the only one who has family in the Five?"

"I -"

Azamat swallowed, realizing he was going to be the one to break it to them.

"Okay," he said. "Let me explain."

Kai, Zane and Jay all crossed their arms and gazed at him intently, seeming to dare him to explain anything.

Azamat took a deep breath. "Okay. There were five researchers that found the Whisperers and developed Shauto, right? Well, those researchers were: London Brookstone, Ed and Edna Walker, and Dobryak and Nikolai Julien. Dr. Nikolai Julien, Zane's father, led the researchers in their work."

There was a stunned silence. Jay's mouth was open so wide Azamat could easily have fit his hand inside it, and Zane was frozen with shock. Kai's gaze was bouncing nervously from Azamat to Jay and Zane.

"My mom and dad were Shauto geeks?" Jay said finally.

"Yeah. According to London, two of the best. Their specialty in the field of Shauto was healing and protection."

Zane shook his head. "My father _led_ the researchers?"

"Yeah," Azamat said again. "He gathered everyone together and organized everything."

It took them a moment to process everything.

"That," Jay said, "is awesome!"

Everyone was completely taken aback by the response. "What?" Kai said.

"It's awesome! All this time, I've been so jealous of Cole having a mother this flipping cool, and it turns out that _my_ parents are this flipping cool too!" Jay punched the air victoriously, laughing. "This is amazing! This is just awesome!"

"I'm glad it's not... um... trouble," Azamat said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Zane shook his head. "Why wouldn't he ever tell me?" he said softly.

"I'll bet it's something along the lines of it'd be catastrophic if you knew," Jay said, jumping up and down. "And it's probably the same for me! This is _so_ _cool_, and it just makes everything make so much more sense! All of our parents are, like, _super_ _heros_! Just like us!"

He gasped and stopped jumping. "Oh my gosh," he said. "There's no doubt now - it _is _destiny that we're here!"

"You're forgetting," Kai objected. "Neither my parents nor Lloyd's were Shautei, Jay. Have destiny explain that."

Jay deflated.

"Your parents weren't Shautei," Azamat said, "But your father _did_ have associations with Wu, the youngest son of the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master, right?"

"Well -" Kai hesitated. Then he admitted, "Yeah, I guess."

"And Lloyd's father _is_ a son of the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master," Azamat said.

Jay pointed at Kai. "Ha! Have any objections now, disbeliever?"

Kai raised his hands, annoyed. "Fine!" he grumbled. "You win. Destiny brought us together."

Azamat was relieved that Walker was taking this so well. Julien, though...

"Zane, are you alright?" Azamat said, putting a hand on the Nindroid's shoulder.

Zane bit his lip, then looked up. "This is..." he tried to say. He shook his head and looked away, closing his eyes.

"A little much to take in?" Azamat murmured.

"Yes. I can't believe... I realize that when we first reunited, he didn't have time to tell me... but it's been months since Overlord's demise. He could have told me at any point during that time."

Azamat started to nod, then stopped. He opened his mouth, then shut it.

Zane looked up. "What's the matter?" he said.

Azamat shook his head, and laughed. "Sorry," he said. "I just thought that you said he could have told you a few months ago."

"I did say that," Zane said.

Azamat looked confused. Then his face straightened, and he whispered, very seriously, "What are you saying?"

"My father's alive," Zane said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, shaking his head at Azamat's bewilderment. "Did you think he was dead?"

"Your father - Dr. Julien is _alive_?"

"Yes."

Azamat's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, and he stared at Zane, stunned.

Zane's expression changed, too. "You thought he was dead?" he repeated. "No. When he passed, the Samukai, the general of the Skulkin Army, revived him with a special elixir. He helped us obtain our elemental powers."

Azamat whirled around, running to the door at the other end of the PTR. The others, surprised, bolted after him.

"Wait!" Jay called. "Where are you going?"

Azamat ran with frantic urgency, pumping his legs with all his might as he ran from the PTR. This was a development that could change everything - if Dr. Julien was _alive_ -!

"We have to tell London!"

* * *

"Hi, daddy."

"Eboni! Thank goodness; that really took a long time. Was she more trouble than we anticipated?"

"Ah... yes. Yeah. She was."

"Give me good news, baby girl."

"I'm afraid I can't."

"... What do you mean?"

He was almost afraid to ask._ Please tell me that you didn't let the Samurai escape. Please tell me that you just accidentally killed one of her comrades. Don't tell me that she escaped. Just don't._

"Well..." Eboni's voice over the headset was tired and guilty. "She escaped. But I sent a Whisperer after her."

He let out a sigh of relief, and smoke from his cigarette came with it. "Good girl," he said.

_That was close. Only the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master knows what would have happened to me if Eboni let her escape... something gruesome, I imagine. _

"But, um, Daddy..."

"Yes?"

"Well... ah... the Whisperer didn't come back."

He paused. "What?"

"It didn't come back. She might have figured out how to kill it, or teamed up with someone who did... We lost her."

There was silence as Eboni waited for him to reply.

He took his cigarette out from between his lips and took his feet off his desk, twirling vaguely in his swivel chair.

"Damn," he murmured.

* * *

**A/N: "Brat'" means "brother" in Amid(Russian). You say it like this: "braht" (only the r sounds like a d, so it's more like bdaht). Someone told me it sounds like December's calling Gahiji a brat all the time, so now I'm spelling it "braht".**


	19. Speculation

Speculation

* * *

Down, Control Room

8:00 PM

* * *

The only sound was the click of London's ballpoint pen as she processed the events of Gahiji's encounter with the enemy.

She twirled in her swivel chair. "You're right, Gahiji," she said finally, her voice solemn. "Yesterday was a trap. We are very, very lucky that we managed to escape. As narrow as that was..."

"We need answers," Gahiji said.

London paused. She looked over at him, her brow furrowing. "Clarify."

Gahiji looked at his sister, who was perched on the dashboard next to London. December stood up and began talking.

"Firstly," she began, "who is this group and what are their goals? How are they controlling the Whisperers? Do they have control over _all_ Whisperers, or a limited army? How do they communicate with the creatures? How long have they known about us? How long have they been tracking us? How did they break the Shauto protection on the City, and how did they mask the Whisperers' presence from my brother?"

She stopped pacing. "Did I miss anything, _braht'_?" she asked Gahiji.

"Yeah. How are we going to stop them?" Gahiji said flatly.

"Right... That."

London blew air out through her nose tiredly, glancing at the two in amusement. "Alright," she said. "Gahiji, I believe you are the expert here. Do you have answers to any of those questions?"

"Guesses."

"Educated ones, I bet."

Gahiji nodded. "There's one thing that answers most of the questions - Hidoi."

London leaned forward. "Hidoi," she repeated. "I was afraid of that."

"Hidoi is what Whisperers respond to," Gahiji said. "And it's what they use."

"Gahiji, we don't know that for sure," December said.

Gahiji turned and glared at her. "_You_ might not know that for sure," he said, "but _I_ do. They're not using Shauto to do what they do."

"Whisperers use elements," December argued. "Hidoi doesn't."

London turned, waving her pen in the air. "She has a point," she said.

Gahiji shook his head. "We don't know the extent of Hidoi," he said. "There are things about Shauto that we don't understand yet; haven't discovered. If we don't understand everything about Shauto, you can bet that there are things we don't understand about Hidoi."

"And the _Whisperers_ understand them?" December said, her voice exuding doubt. "They have no intelligence. How could something with no brain figure out something that Ninjagians haven't even discovered?"

"You underestimate the capability of a Whisperer," Gahiji shot back. "You think that it is no threat, because you have the means of destroying it. You must remember that, whatever it is, it is not human."

London then turned to December, clicking her pen and grinning. "_He_ has a point," she said. December scowled.

London enjoyed these kinds of conversations.

Gahiji uncrossed his arms and placed his hands in his cloak pockets. "Hidoi is a powerful thing," he said. "Just as powerful as Shauto is, and in some ways more so. It doesn't matter about the Whisperers - Hidoi is what broke the Protection placed over the City, what masked the Whisperers from See, and what is controlling them."

London thought for a moment. She clicked the ballpoint pen again. Then again. "I have nothing to contradict this," she said.

"The next question, then," Gahiji said. "Who are they, and what do they want?"

"Well, they're obviously not on our side," London said. "They're attacking the Five. What we're doing is saving humanity. Either they are unaware of the destructiveness of the Whisperers - which I highly doubt - or they really want to see the end of the world."

December shook her head, looking sick. "Who would want to see the end of the world?" she wondered softly.

"Hidein," Gahiji answered. December looked at him, surprised. Then she fell silent.

... He was probably right.

"And that's a clue in and of itself," London said, leaning forward. "The mere fact that this organization is Hidein narrows down all the possibilities. The art of Hidoi was never lost to the Ninjagian people, just as Shauto was never lost to the Amid."

Gahiji nodded. "But even then, it was passed down through only a few families - I see where you're going with this."

"Then the organization has to trace back to a Hidein family?" December inquired.

"Not necessarily," Gahiji said. "But probably."

London smiled. "Wonderful. I can investigate that, then, as soon as we answer the other questions. So that might explain who they are. Now, what do they want?"

Gahiji hesitated. "That's harder to guess," he said slowly.

December shook her head, glancing over at London. "Let's brainstorm," she suggested. "They obviously think what we are doing, as Shautei, is wrong. That would mean that they want the Whisperers to survive. Why? These people could be trying to build an army of Whisperers, for all we know."

"An army... for what?" London asked.

"Uh... revenge, maybe? On someone? Maybe this has nothing to do with us, really... maybe we're just an obstacle in their path." December received two strange looks. "H-Hey, it's happened before."

"In _Starfarer_, maybe," Gahiji muttered.

"Don't you underrate Starfarer."

"I don't see how one _could_ underrate it."

"There's always the possibility that they could have been connected to us in some way," London said, interrupting an argument that would have escalated quickly. If December had a touchy spot, it was her choice of literature, of which Gahiji highly disapproved. The two didn't argue often, but they were known to trade angry remarks about Prince Donnigan for hours.

Gahiji received an indignant face from December, and rolled his eyes at her before responding to London. "It would explain how they know we exist," he said. "Is there anyone from our past that we could have mistreated?"

"I don't know... Let's think. There are people who were part of the Five who aren't working with us now... Ed and Edna Walker, for example."

Gahiji snorted. "The Walkers?" he said with a half-smirk. "I seriously doubt it."

"_Oni s uma_," December agreed, though she was still vehemently making faces at her brother - who pointedly ignored her.

London smiled and nodded. "I agree with both of you. I wonder, though... should we try to contact them? We need all the help that we can get, saving the world and all."

December and Gahiji looked at each other. "Would they come back?" December said softly.

London paused. Then she said, "I think they would... if they knew that NinjaGo was at stake. They may be a little bit unfocused, but they're smarter than most... and they will do what's right, no matter how hard it is."

The Amid siblings nodded once.

"I haven't asked," London said. She turned to Gahiji. "What do _you_ think that this organization might be trying to accomplish, Gahiji?"

Gahiji hesitated. He closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. "Honestly?" he said.

"Of course."

"I would say world domination..."

December scoffed and folded her arms. "Really?" she said. "For such powerful adversaries, Hidein sure aren't varied in their evil."

"You interrupted me," Gahiji muttered.

"Oh... sorry."

Gahiji's gaze slid from his sister to London. "I _would_ say world domination, except for the fact that they're so focused on the Five. This would suggest not world domination, but world destruction."

London leaned back in her seat and swore.

Gahiji's tone was even. It didn't change in volume or emotion... it was just flat. "I realize how ludicrous it sounds," he said. "But you asked what I thought."

"No," London said. "I trust your judgment..." She paused. "But _world_ _destruction_?"

December whistled. "That's... ruthless. Even for Hidein."

"Agreed," Gahiji said. "But don't take my word for truth."

"Attempting to kill the Five means that they think what we are doing is wrong," December said. "And if they think that destroying Whisperers is wrong, then who's to say that they _don't_ mean to end the world?"

Gahiji nodded.

"Here's a thought," London said suddenly. "What if the _Whisperers_ are the ones controlling the _humans_?"

There was a silence. December's and Gahiji's heads snapped towards the woman, looks of shock and bewilderment on their faces.

London shrugged. "Just throwing it out there," she said. "I'm probably wrong. But it would work."

"But it goes against everything we know about Whisperers," December objected. "Ordering around a human is way too complicated for a Whisperer. Whisperers are tools, not the ones handling the tools. They can't be the ones leading an operation like this."

"Hold on," Gahiji said. "We dismiss nothing... It's true that Whisperers have very little intelligence. I invite you to wonder, though. We ourselves are human. And humans make mistakes. Who is to say that everything that we know about Whisperers isn't wrong?"

That gave December pause.

"It would explain why they're trying to protect the Whisperers," Gahiji said. He broke off, his brow furrowing. "Perhaps..."

"What?" London said eagerly. "What are you thinking?"

Gahiji cocked his head towards London. "We don't know why Whispers exist. Have you thought of what they would be capable of if their powers were magnified by Hidein?"

London leaned forward. "What are you saying?" she said.

"Perhaps whoever is orchestrating this has a bond with the Whisperers. Knowing Hidoi, it is possible that someone might have created a strong emotional attachment to the Whisperers." Gahiji closed his eyes. "Hidoi can make people believe strange things. Perhaps, through some unlikely turn of events, the leader of this group believes Whisperers to be in the right, and Ninjagians in the wrong."

London and December were both gazing at him intently, confusion written on their faces. "Hidoi can _do_ that?" December said.

Gahiji's tone darkened. "... I've seen it happen."

London swallowed, and she leaned back, taking a deep breath. "If this is the case," she said, "then we can know that this organization is not going to stop with us. They'll be targeting the people of NinjaGo next... They might even be the ones behind the attack on Ignacia."

Gahiji and December both inhaled. "The attack on Ignacia?" December repeated. "_They_ were the ones behind it?"

Ignacia, Kai's hometown, had been attacked some months before by a group of Whisperers. The Five had arrived on time to stop them and rescue the village's inhabitants, managing to hush the whole situation up - no information whatsoever had made it to _Wake Up NinjaGo City_, NinjaGo's newscast - but the aftermath of the attack had been devastating. Lives had been lost, and injuries had been sustained. The attack had been so overwhelming that it very nearly demolished the village. It was a miracle that any of the Five had survived it.

That attack had been London's inspiration to investigate the Ninja. The Five were barely enough to stop the Whisperers on their own. Shauto's secrets would have to be spilled... but only to those worthy.

Gahiji's eyes widened, and he stood up straighter. "That must be it," he said. "During the battle, the Whisperers were more coordinated and single-minded in their destruction than I have ever seen. They must have been given orders by this organization."

"Ninjagians working with Whisperers," London murmured softly. Her voice was thick with worry and sadness. She let her head fall into her hands. "The destruction of the Whisperers was enough... but with Hidein controlling them..."

Gahiji and December were silent.

"This is more desperate than we ever could have imagined," London said. "The blow that Ignacia took was hard enough, and we _knew_ about the attack. This organization will topple everything. I thought that we were so safe, since the Overlord was defeated... it turns out that I was wrong."

She turned. Her blue eyes were stern and grim. "We're waist-deep in this mess," she said. "If we didn't have the Ninja, I'd say that we were screwed any way we tried to go. But we _do_ have the Ninja. All we need to do is train them, and with Shauto, we should be ready to face this threat."

"If we _can_ train them," Gahiji said quietly.

London gazed at him. "There is no _can _and_ can't_," she said. "We _must_. That's all there is to it."

Gahiji nodded.

"Let us not forget that," London said. "NinjaGo rests on our shoulders. It is not a weight we need to bear with doubt in our minds... We will do it, because we _must_ do it."

The woman sighed, then smiled, her old features softening into a wistful expression. "I sometimes wonder what your uncle would do, if he were here," she murmured.

There was intense quiet for about five seconds. Then December said, "We miss him too, London." She glanced to Gahiji, as if to confirm it.

Gahiji's frown only deepened.

"I wonder what your father would do," London said, almost to herself. "What they both would do, together... I wonder if I could ever lead the Five like they did. They've certainly left something to look up to, haven't they?"

"You should stop wondering," Gahiji said suddenly.

London looked to him, surprised.

"It doesn't matter what they would have done. What matters is here and now, and the situation at hand. Do what _you_ think is right." His cold eyes searched London's expression briefly, before he closed them and rested the back of his head against the wall. "Chances are, if you do what you think is right, it's what the Juliens would have done."

He said it, and he meant it. But he felt something else.

London sighed, and leaned back in her chair. "I'm sorry, Gahiji," she said softly. "That was thoughtless of me to say such a thing. I hope I haven't hurt you."

Gahiji's eyes met hers briefly. Then he looked away and exhaled; it was his equivalent of a shrug. "Don't apologize," he muttered.

There was another silence. December's eyes flickered between her brother and London, almost apprehensively. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it.

"_Sestra_," Gahiji said. He was looking at her, his expression a mix of his customary flatness and annoyance. "Do you have something to say?"

December blinked. Then she laughed nervously. "Yeah... it's only mildly related to the topic of conversation, so, I just didn't want to -"

"Last I checked, the conversation was over," Gahiji said. "Spit it out."

December glared at him. Gahiji seemed unapologetic in his bluntness, so she finally dismissed it. "I'm just... uncomfortable with all this. It seems as if there's been a lot of withholding information from the Ninja. I was just wondering if we should tell them about just who the Five were years ago."

London nodded. "I've been meaning to do that," she said. As she spoke, she spun endless circles in her swivel chair; Gahiji was watching her, features arranged into a sort of amused but disapproving grimace. "I thought I might visit everyone before they went to bed. I just... when I dumped it on Cole, he made such a fuss. I thought I might hold off on telling the others. But I've been thinking about it, and I wanted to do it tonight."

December sighed with relief. "Are you going to tell them everything?" she said.

"Let's see, Jay's parents, Zane's parents, me... I think that was it."

"But... shouldn't we tell Zane that we..."

London looked confused.

"... well, that we're his family?" December finished weakly.

London still looked confused.

Gahiji sighed. "The Five was led primarily by Dr. Nikolai Julien and his brother, Dobryak Julien," he said. "December and I are Dobryak's children, and Zane is Dr. Julien's adopted son. That makes us cousins with Zane."

London paused. "Really?" she said, surprised. "Wow... I did not work that one out. Yeah, we'll tell Zane that, too... what a thing to dump on someone."

December nodded. "That's why I'd like to tell him as soon as possible," she said. "I don't want it to hurt more by holding off on telling him."

London smiled at her. "You're right. Tonight it is, then."

She broke off abruptly, staring at December and Gahiji. In her line of sight, they were close to each other, December having sat back down on the edge of the dashboard and Gahiji still leaning up against the wall. She stared at them both for some time.

December and Gahiji began to squirm.

"What?" Gahiji demanded hotly, after about twenty seconds with no explanation for London's fascination with them.

"Oh, nothing," London said. "I'm just thinking. The longer I look at you, the easier it is to imagine Zane as your cousin... you all have rather pale eyes, and you're all tall. The major differences are skin color, hair color and your builds - but then again, Zane has a strong build, too, doesn't he? I wonder if Nikolai based any of Zane's features off either of you. I can definitely see December's chin... perhaps Gahiji's forehead..."

December laughed, while Gahiji scowled.

London opened her mouth to ponder further, when the door to the Control Room was suddenly thrown open. A breathless Azamat, joined seconds later by Kai, Jay, and Zane, burst into the room.

"London!" Azamat exclaimed.

December, Gahiji and London all stood up. "Azamat," Gahiji said. "What's going on?"

"Everything's fine," Azamat said, gasping. He looked both excited and distressed at the same time. "No one's hurt... this is about Dr. Julien."

"Dr. Julien?"

Azamat placed a hand on the doorway for support. "Zane's just told me that he's alive."

There was an audible gasp. London shook her head, preparing to answer, when Gahiji said, "That's impossible. He died of age years ago."

"That's what I thought, too," Azamat said. "But - but -!" He turned to Zane, giving him a helpless look.

"My father did indeed pass," Zane explained. "But after I recovered from the shock of being stranded in my father's laboratory and left, the ruler of the Skulkin Army, Samukai, appeared and revived him with a special elixir. He forced my father to build weaponry and vehicles for his army, then imprisoned him in a tower just off the coast of the Dark Island. He was stuck there for a long time before we crashed on his tower after a storm and freed him."

London, December, and Gahiji all stared at Zane, shocked and enthralled. "Nikolai is _alive_?" London whispered.

Nikolai, her lifelong friend and colleague, the one she had believed to be dead for years, was alive?

... Well, now she knew how Cole had felt.

"It's a miracle," December said, her voice trembling.

Zane looked at her. His eyes were full of sympathy and pain. "December," he said. "You seem sad. Did you know him?"

"I'm not sad," December said. She looked at Zane, and London saw that her pale blue eyes glistened with tears. "I'm so happy... yes, I knew him. He was my family."

"Your - family?"

"Yes, Zane... you must know. Dr. Julien is our uncle; mine and Gahiji's, that is. Our father was his brother. We're your cousins."

Zane gasped.

It was a chaos of unchecked emotions. People all spoke at once, frantic shock, disbelief, grief, joy and relief in their statements; no one was listened to, and everyone was talking. Thoughts, shouts, whispers, and feelings swirled into a blur. The room had lost control, and no one knew how to get it back.

Someone shouted over the clamor.

"_Stop!_"

And everything stopped.

In the commotion, people had appeared; Lloyd and Cole had come from their room to see what the yelling was about.

Amilia stood in the doorway, breathless and red in the face. She had been the one who had called for the halt, and it seemed to have taken a lot of effort.

Amilia exhaled. "One person may speak at a time," she said. "Even in a frantic chaos, you must remain calm and orderly."

"_That_ was a redundant statement," said Gahiji.

"Well, if you can't manage to be neat and orderly in discord, you must not be discordious," Amilia retorted sleepily. "You all woke me up."

"Oh, well I guess it doesn't matter that Dr. Julien just came back to life," Azamat said, annoyed.

"Of course it matters, idiot," Amilia said, missing his sarcasm. "You just don't have to shout about it. People can hear you perfectly well if you speak in a regular tone of voice." She yawned and rubbed her eyes, then paused. "Why is Zane on the floor?"

Everyone jumped, startled by the statement, and looked down to find Zane on his hands and knees. The Nindroid had collapsed, overwhelmed with shock. Without a moment's hesitation, Lloyd, Cole, Jay and Kai dropped to their knees beside him.

"Zane," Lloyd said urgently, placing his hand on Zane's back. "Zane, are you alright?"

Zane was staring at the floor, eyes wide. His breathing was shallow.

"Zane," Lloyd said again. "What happened?"

Zane didn't answer him. Kai hesitated, then whispered into Lloyd's ear. Lloyd's eyebrows shot up, and his mouth opened. "Zane," he said again, voice soft.

December then walked forward. She knelt down in front of Zane, reaching out to touch his shoulder; Lloyd withdrew his hand from Zane's back immediately. "Zane," she said.

Zane looked up. His eyes locked with hers; he gasped. It was like looking at his own eyes in a mirror... December's irises were the color of his own, a watery, frosted blue, like a winter day.

"Hey," December said softly. "Are you alright?"

London leaned forward, intrigued by the scene.

"I... you're my cousin," Zane whispered. "I always... I always believed that my only family was my father... why did he never tell me that I had cousins? Why did he never let us meet each other?"

"I'm sorry, Zane," December said gently. "Things were hectic. There was death, and loss, and sadness... I suspect the reason why you never knew us was because of that."

Zane bit his lip. His hands were shaking as they supported him, and his voice shook. "My father knows Shauto..." he said softly. "He knew Shauto, and he was protecting people... but that's why he created me. To protect those who cannot protect themselves. I... I don't understand... wouldn't he have let me help...?"

December's eyes softened. She only hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Zane's neck. "I'm sorry," she said again. Her voice was almost inaudible, and impactful in its quietness. "Try to forget the questions. We'll know the answers soon enough."

It took a moment for Zane to process her arms around him. He paused, then put his hands gently on her back and leaned into her embrace.

"How selfless," he whispered. "You're traumatized yourself, and yet, you so willingly comfort me."

December closed her eyes. "Are you going to be alright?"

"And you came to my aid without a second thought. I have never met someone like you before."

"Are you going to be alright, Zane?"

Zane smiled, and let go of her. "I will be fine," he said. "Thank you... but you needn't have troubled yourself with my pains. I would have recovered myself."

December returned the smile, her winter eyes meeting his. "We are family," she pointed out. "I can't let you go on suffering so."

"So it would seem."

Lloyd put a hand on Zane's back, glancing sideways at December. "Zane," he said.

"I am fine," Zane said. "Or, more accurately, as fine as I can be in such a situation. I am still quite shocked, and I would like to learn more about my newfound family." He smiled at December. His eyes trailed from her to the man standing just behind her.

London looked to Gahiji, too. There was nothing to be understood by his flat expression.

Gahiji then stepped forward. He helped December to her feet, then stretched his hand out to Zane. Zane hesitated, then took the tattooed hand in his own, and allowed Gahiji to pull him up to a standing position.

Gahiji's frown was deep as his penetrating stare traveled over Zane. Whatever he saw seemed to satisfy him, because he grudgingly muttered, "Nice to formally meet you, cousin."

Zane blinked, then nodded, smiling nervously at the man.

Gahiji's gaze slid from Zane to the room's other occupants, who were standing and looking just a little bit awestruck. "You've said that your father is alive," he said. "Would you continue to explain?"

Zane nodded. "O-of course... He was your uncle?"

Gahiji gritted his teeth. "Yes," he said, his voice constricted. "But what matters is that he _is_ alive... we must decide what to do from here." He glanced to London. "Who would you like to join us?"

London paused. "Everyone," she said. "We must council... there is much to explain, and much to have explained to us. Is anyone particularly tired?" Here she overlooked the crowd of people in the Control room.

Amilia raised her hand, yawning. "Me," she said.

"Good," London said. "Let's continue, then."

Amilia looked offended. "Wh -" she started, but Azamat nudged her.

London scanned the room again. The entire group was confused, pained, and anxious... A group that needed to be consoled and enlightened.

This would be a long discussion.


	20. Povelitel

**A/N: In which the unnamed bad guy gets a name, and you meet the real bad guy. **

* * *

Povelitel

* * *

The prospect was terrifying. Approaching his employer while having failed in his employment was about as fun as having a discussion with a dragon about whether or not the dragon was justified in eating him.

He was leaving his swivel chair and his cigarettes behind for this. Eboni had gotten him into trouble this time, no doubt about that. He would much rather to be back in his office than speaking to his employer, who was sure to be furious. Povelitel terrified him when he was angry.

Povelitel terrified him regardless.

He shut the door to his office, waved once at the guards stationed on either side of the doorway, and then started down the long stone corridor. The guards stayed put.

Compared to the homeliness of his office, the dim hallway was desolate and dark. He didn't like it at all. The only reason that his office was decorated so drastically different from the rest of the compound was that he didn't work well in conditions that were so cold; otherwise, regardless of his importance, he would have been shoved into a small room with little heating, light - little everything. Like the rest of the workers.

Despite this privilege, however, he did not consider himself lucky. He would only really be lucky if he ever got out of this cursed place.

His high-heeled boots echoed on the rock floor. There were a few people hurrying up and down the hallway. Mostly armory workers. None of them walked past him without looking at him apprehensively.

He didn't acknowledge them. He wasn't expected to.

Branching off the hallway were staircases. Some went straight up or straight down, others spiraled in different directions, but down here there weren't any rooms off the corridor besides his office. Just staircases.

He walked straight past each of them. His destination was at the end of the passage, down a wide, dark staircase.

Armory workers watched him as he started down it, his boots clomping loudly down the staircase, and his long cloak floating in the air behind him with his purposeful stride. Purposeful... or nervous.

He was sure no one blamed him. He reminded himself that by being so afraid of Povelitel, he was boosting Povelitel's reputation - even someone ranked as high as he was still nervous to meet him. It inspired more fear. More unquestioning service.

How funny that he himself was so trepidatious of his own service.

Besides, no one could truly walk into the master's chambers without fear. Not the master being what he was.

And he had even more reason than some to be afraid.

He reached the bottom of the staircase. It was colder, dimmer than the rest of the compound. The master didn't need warmth or light. There was a short passage that led to a door.

His step slowed abruptly.

He had to do it, though. There was no excuse for ignoring a summoning from Povelitel, much as wished there was.

The only problem was what he was going to say. If there wasn't an excuse for not showing up to speak to him, there had to be an excuse for his failure. There had to be something to say that would save him. His hesitation was a long one.

_It's not my fault._ That was what he wanted to say. It didn't _feel_ like his fault, at least, but that was never acceptable. If it was Eboni's fault, it was his fault. And if it was his fault then there was no telling what could happen.

He found his mind annoyingly blank. Usually he could come up with a good argument. But then, usually he didn't screw up this bad.

There was nothing he could do but brace himself.

His pale hands were shaking as he lifted them to knock on the door. He wiped them on his cloak hastily, then knocked briskly on the wood of the door, holding his breath.

Silence.

"Soren," came an answer from behind the door.

He let the breath out and composed himself. "Master," he said, and pushed on the door, entering the chambers.

He peered in the darkness for the figure of his master, stepping so that his boots hardly made a sound. He couldn't see anything in the absolute darkness of Povelitel's chambers.

"My son," came a whisper.

He jumped as the figure suddenly twisted into sight, glazed, violet eyes blinking at him slowly. Then he gave an inward curse. Povelitel had been on ceiling. Of course.

"It's so good to see you, Soren," Povelitel said. His voice was a whisper. A grinding, inhuman whisper, but it was gentle.

Soren froze as an upside-down metal hand caressed his face. Then he reluctantly leaned into his father's touch, the steel hand an odd sort of comfort, even when in moments its owner could be furious.

"You're so warm..." Povelitel whispered. Soren gritted his teeth, but smiled; his father could see it.

"I received your messenger, Soren," Povelitel said. Soren could hear the clock-like sounds of metal rotating as his father clambered down the stone wall. The hand on his face rotated with him. "You've failed your assignment."

Soren watched the faint outline of the robot jerk slowly and painfully from the disfigured metal spider form to a humanoid one. It was a twisted process; gears bent and replaced themselves, metal armor slid off and hit the stone floor, and machinery whined and steamed. The metal fingers left Soren's face.

"Father -" Soren tried to say.

"Hush, Soren," said Povelitel. "Don't defend yourself."

Soren swallowed and shut his eyes.

"You're not the one who needs defending."

Soren paused. "What?"

Povelitel opened his eyes. Soren flinched at the violet light that suddenly lit up his face. "I don't blame you, son," he said.

"But -"

"It wasn't your fault. It was that girl... Eboni."

"... Father?" Soren said, confused.

"She is the one who must be punished. She is the one who must be disposed, not you. She has lost us our key. Our Samurai..." Povelitel's eyes tilted as he twisted his head. "Eboni has long been useful, but I suspect that we have lost her trust."

"But she still sees me as her father," Soren said.

"Ah, she may pretend to. My son, you must learn to read a mortal better. Her actions. Her expressions. She may say one thing and mean another. But you mustn't be hard on yourself, child... the mortal woman is a mysterious thing that must be deciphered. It will take more time yet to recognize such things."

"She will betray me?"

"She has lost faith in whether or not you are really her father," Povelitel said. "Has lost faith in the idea that you love her and she loves you... and she may be a threat to the plan."

"What will you have me do?"

"Kill her." The command was soft. "Or find someone to do it for you. At this stage in the proceedings we cannot afford to use a knife with a shaky grip."

Soren was relieved that his father had shoved the blame onto someone else; onto Eboni, no less. He would soon be rid of the little nuisance. But there was something nagging at him... something suspicious about the whole affair.

"I understand," he said. "But I have to wonder - why have you let it slide? My punishment?"

The android blinked. "Because, dear boy," it said. "It wasn't your fault. I have need of you, alive and well..."

Hands stretched forward and cupped Soren's pale face again. "Jealous," Poveiltel whispered, stroking Soren's cheek with a cold, delicate finger. Soren's brow twitched. "Cunning. Patient. Reasonable. Suspicious. Strong. Desiring freedom... and yet, despite all of this, so very afraid." The android tilted its head. "You are what I have given you, son. Nothing more, nothing less."

Soren nodded. "I am grateful for it," he said softly. "I have life in you."

"My son, I am in need of your services," the master said, taking his fingers from Soren's face. "And that is why I keep you unpunished."

"What will you have me do?"

The robot began to turn, ambling away at a slow crawl. Soren could hear multiple footsteps hitting the floor.

"My plan is progressing," he said. "Things will not stay so calm for long... and I will need to be protected. I will need to be defended by someone capable of doing so, someone who will not leave my side for anyone or anything. Blood will be shed. People will die... In my state, I cannot fight, nor can I defend myself."

Soren shook his head. "But father, you must know that I am barely a capable warrior," he said. "I am... a negotiator, not a fighter. I had Krovimastaa for that."

"I know this," Povelitel said. Soren heard a shuffle of papers, and wished he could see in the darkness. "And that is why you won't be doing it. I need you for something different... something much more dangerous.

"I need another one of you."

Soren paused. "Another one of... _me_, father?"

"Yes... another son," Povelitel said. The papers stopped shuffling. "Another Fragment. And I need you to help me get one."

"Another Fragment?" Soren murmured. "One with the strength to defend you?"

"Precisely."

_Another Fragment. _It was an unexpected thought. Povelitel's second Fragment would be Soren's brother... The idea of such a thing was an unappealing one.

"And... what shall _I_ do, father?"

The robot's violet eyes turned back to Soren. "This will be much harder than creating you, son," he whispered. "Because I will not be there to perform the transfer."

Soren's brow furrowed. "How - how is that possible?"

"It is," the android said simply. "And you will be the one to create it."

"Can a Fragment create another Fragment?"

"It doesn't matter if it can. It shall."

Soren let out a deep breath.

"Don't be alarmed, son," the android said. "I would not ask my son to do this if I thought that it would endanger your life. You are far too precious to me."

His son. What a nice illusion. Soren wondered if he ever could believe that he was such a thing... or, that he could mean that much to his father.

"Wait," Soren said. "What about the Samurai? Do we leave her alive?"

"Yes," the android said. His mechanical voice was almost sneering. "If she has escaped the Whisperer, then she has met the Five... and she will be unable to escape."

"... So you expected Eboni to fail."

"I did. That's another reason to kill her."

"You truly are a genius, father."

There came a soft tap. Soren stood up straight with surprise and fright.

"What was -"

"The door," Povelitel said softly. "Your brain must be toying with you, Soren. Answer it. It is for you, not me."

Soren nodded and turned. He stumbled towards where he thought the door was in the darkness... His hand wrapped around a knob, and he twisted it, opening the door and letting light in.

Povelitel hissed and retracted from the light's presence.

At the door was Eboni. Her face was pale and her hazel eyes wide. "Daddy," she said, her voice a whisper.

"Eboni?" Soren said. "What are you doing here -?"

Eboni jumped forward and threw her arms around Soren. "Daddy, please don't let him kill me," she said, her voice shaking. "Please!"

Soren let go of the doorknob, forced to hug her back with the fierceness of her embrace. "Eboni," he said.

"Please," Eboni said. "I didn't mean to lose the Samurai, I didn't know that she was Shautei! I can do more! Don't let him kill me!"

"Child, calm yourself," Soren said, trying to pry himself from her, but in vain. He didn't know what to say. "I'm doing the best I can, darling, just wait for me outside -"

"No - let the girl speak," Povelitel whispered.

Eboni let go of Soren with a gasp. Soren shut the door, throwing the room in complete darkness again; Eboni clasped his hand, and he squeezed her arm. She was shaking.

"Speak, child," Povelitel said. He opened his eyes again.

In their light, Eboni looked to Soren, who grimaced and nodded in Povelitel's direction. "Speak," he mouthed.

The poor girl. He was glad he wasn't in her shoes - and to think for a moment he might have been. Relief washed over him.

It was her who would be punished. Not him.

Eboni slowly let go of Soren's hand. "I-I can do more," she said again.

"What could you do for me?"

"There's a man," Eboni said. "A man who's important to the Five - to the leader of the Five. He knows things about Whisperers - about us - about you. He's looking for the Ninja. I can get him. I can bring him here - he could be a substitute for the Samurai."

"_Nothing_ could be a substitute for the Samurai," Povelitel snarled.

"O-of course... But we could take him hostage. He is important to the Five."

"And are you competent to do it? After you failed with the Samurai?"

"I can," Eboni said desperately. "I know I can!"

"Give me a reason."

Eboni faltered. "I - I -"

Soren closed his eyes. _The poor girl,_ he thought. _There... really _isn't_ a reason for him to keep her._

... How did he feel about that?

Eboni tried to speak - to say something, anything - but nothing would come out. She fell to her knees and started sobbing, putting her arms over her head. "Don't hurt me," she whispered. "Don't hurt me, please... don't kill me..."

_That would have been me. Trapped in an expectation of death..._

_Trapped._

"Master," Soren said. Povelitel looked to him.

"Perhaps... it wouldn't hurt to let her prove herself worthy of your use? She has, after all, been so reliable for so long..." He met Povelitel's gaze steadily. "Her knife may have slipped once, but she can adjust her grip."

Eboni looked up, and nodded frantically.

Povelitel made a clicking sound, then a whirring one; laughter. "Perhaps, perhaps..." He started forward, feet hitting the floor with ominous clanking sounds. He stopped in front of Eboni. "Stand, little one."

Eboni stood, her eyes wide.

"I am a merciful master, Eboni," Povelitel said softly. "Perhaps you can be of use to me yet... This man is not the Samurai... but if he is as knowledgable as you claim, he must be done away with. I task you with finding him and taking him hostage."

Eboni choked. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you, thank you..."

"However," Povelitel said. "Should you fail me, _you_ will be the one done away with."

"Yes, master," Eboni said. She put her hands to her mouth, then turned and fell into Soren's arms, crying gently. Soren reluctantly wrapped his arms around her.

"Leave us, Eboni," Povelitel said.

Eboni retracted herself from Soren's embrace and backed up to the door, opening it and disappearing behind it quickly.

Soren rubbed his hands together as she closed the door. Povelitel gave another long laugh, full of popping and clicking as metal grated against metal.

"My son," he said, "you had no right nor reason to defend her."

Soren swallowed. "I -"

"It is very noble of you to do such a thing... noble. We are not noble, Soren. We are strong."

"Y-yes, father."

"But it is no wonder to me that you saved her." Povelitel turned. "After all... you are her father. Stunning performance, son, stunning performance."

Soren was caught off guard. _Stunning performance. _Povelitel thought that his defending the girl was an act, along with all Soren's duties as a father to the girl.

It _was_ an act. But why, then, had Soren been taken aback by his father's praise? To act hadn't occurred to him - to defend Eboni had. A father's instincts had come to him before his own.

When had _that_ happened? _Why_ had that happened?

He had tried to defend her... because it was the right thing to do.

Soren shook his head as if to clear his mind. This was not about what was right or wrong. This was about what made Povelitel strong or weak - and Eboni could make him weak. Eboni should have been killed... Soren should have killed her.

It wouldn't happen again. Soren would make sure of that... for now, he played along with Povelitel's assumption that he had acted.

Because he _had_.

"She will capture this man, then," Povelitel said, jerking Soren out of his thoughts. "She will capture him and bring him to me, and we will break him.

"And then you will kill her."


	21. Resetting Mindset

Resetting Mindset

* * *

Scrap and Junk

9:00 PM

* * *

Nya's tracker was plugged into the Walker's television set, transferring the image from the small screen to the larger one. Her fingers flew over the tracker's keyboard, and all eyes were glued to the television.

"Alright," Nya said. "Rebooting the system.. tapping into surveillance..."

"You're a regular genius, Nya," Garmadon said as the screen flickered.

"Thanks... Monitor fourteen... And here we are."

The television screen flashed. Then an image was projected onto it. A dark room; the storage room.

Nya's hands tapped the keyboard again, and the camera switched modes to night vision. Then heat vision. Nothing showed up besides the boxes lined up, shelf upon shelf.

"Clear on the storage room," Nya said. She hit another key, and the screen changed. "Camera thirteen..."

She continued to check all the cameras. The others felt hope rise in their chests.

"Camera eight," Nya murmured.

It showed the dark entryway to the Bridge. Nya furrowed her brow and switched the camera's filter to night vision.

The people watching jumped.

"Doesn't look like the Bounty's safe after all," Garmadon said. He put his head in his hands. "Great. Just perfect."

"Hold on, Gom," Misako said. She pointed to the screen. "He doesn't look like he's trying to infiltrate. Look!"

The man in the doorway to the Bridge was looking around. "Hello?" he said.

"The Mailman, perhaps?" Nya suggested.

"Zoom in on his face," Edna said. "Maybe we could recognize him."

Nya abandoned the keyboard and spread her fingers apart on the tiny touchscreen of her tracker. The image was blown up on the television screen. "Doesn't look like anyone _I_ know," Nya said. "And he's definitely not the Mailman."

The man's face read anxiety. He had thick, dark eyebrows and a mustache, and his features were tired and old.

Edna stood up. "I know him!" she exclaimed.

"What?" Wu said.

"I know him - that's Lou Brookstone, London's husband!"

"Cole's father," Nya clarified. She narrowed her eyes at the image of Lou's face. "But what's he doing at the Destiny's Bounty at this time of night?"

Lou peered around the doorway. "Hello?" he called. "Is anyone... is anyone here?"

His hands trailed away from the walls as he stepped into the Bridge. He looked around nervously; Nya noticed that his fingers were fidgeting with his coat's sleeves. "I don't have much time," he said aloud to the empty Bridge. "Please - is anyone here?"

"Why is he so distressed?" Nya wondered softly.

"I have to tell you something," Lou said. "It's about NinjaGo - it's not safe anymore. There are terrible things that are going to happen!"

The audience in the Walkers' trailer leaned forward. Lou looked around again; his step was uncertain and he glanced around as he walked. "Is _anyone_ here?"

Nya shook her head and glanced to her Sensei. "What do we do?"

"Can you use the intercom to speak from here?" Sensei asked. "Perhaps you could address him?"

"No," Nya said. "And even if I could, I'd need a microphone. My tracker's mic is too small."

Edna spoke. "Whatever he knows," she said, "_we_ need to know, too. Lou would not come unannounced to the Destiny's Bounty if he didn't have something extremely important to tell us."

Nya and Wu both nodded, when Cole's father on the screen suddenly froze. Their heads snapped back to the television.

"Cole?" Lou said. A little desperately. "Is that you?"

Nya's eyes widened. "What...? Is there someone on the ship with him?"

She tapped the screen, switching cameras to monitor six. The outside wall of the Bridge. A woman in dark clothing and a mask drew a dagger from her belt and flattened herself against the wall, peering around the doorway ever so slightly.

"Uh-oh," Edna said.

"He's in trouble!" Sensei Wu said. He jumped up, and was followed quickly by everyone else. "We have to do something!"

Nya tapped the keyboard frantically, switching monitors back to the eighth. _There has to be something we can do! _she thought. She slid the live image into the corner of the screen and pulled up a page of controls. _I should be able to access the Bounty's security system from here... please let me be able to access it! _

Lou was backing up slowly. "If no one's here," he called nervously, "I'll just... go."

He backed up nearer and nearer to the doorway, where the woman was hiding.

"Nya!" Garmadon said. "There's a man about to be killed on our ship! _Do_ something!"

"I _am_ doing something!" Nya shot back. "Give me a minute!"

_Security is down... I can't restart it, or Lou will be targeted, too, and it would take too long to program his information into the Bounty... I'll have to manually access and man the security. That will take way too long!_

"I can't -" Nya tried to say.

"Yes you can, Nya!" Garmadon barked. "You _have_ to! Cole's father is about to be jumped by a dark figure with a knife!"

"I can't do it in time," Nya said desperately. Her eyes darted from the screen to her keyboard. "I can't... it's going to take too long to access the security, if it's possible to access it at all -" she halted. The page was flashing at her. "It's not even possible!"

"Try, Nya," Sensei Wu said. "Just try. Gom, hush, she can't focus with your shouting."

Lou was turning. He started out the doorway; in that instant the woman jumped forward and clocked him on the head with the pommel of her dagger. He collapsed.

"No!" Edna said, and the whole room gasped.

"Sorry, pops," The woman said. "But you know just a little too much. You're coming with me."

Garmadon gave a strangled cry, then tugged at his hair, eyes wide and voice constricted. "That's Eboni!" he said. "The little sneak, that's _Eboni_!"

"Eboni?" Edna said. "The young girl who threw shurikens at you? This is a disaster!"

Nya slid the screen again, from the security controls to a her Samurai X controls. Her mind raced as fast as her fingers. _If I can access the Samurai X from here, _she thought, _through it I could activate Samurai Z at the Bounty, and establish its target as Eboni. Come on, come on! _

Eboni's dagger was back in her belt and thick rope was now bound Lou's wrists. She looked around the Bridge once, then came into the room again, letting Lou slump up against the wall as he moaned in pain.

"What is she doing now?" Wu said.

Eboni approached the dashboard. She flicked the _Destiny's_ _Bounty's_ power on, and the monitor in the bridge flickered to life, asking for a password. With barely a moment's hesitation she took something small and black out of the pocket of her uniform and shoved it into the USB slot.

The screen flashed. Then opened onto the Bounty's desktop.

Nya gaped. "How - I set the Bounty not to accept passcode drives! How did she fool the system?"

"I told you," Garmadon said through gritted teeth. "She's a hacker."

"Even a good hacker shouldn't be able to stroll in and override the Bounty like that!" Nya said.

Eboni opened the finder, and command-selected all the files that showed up. On the desktop, a jumpdrive icon had appeared, and she dragged the files to it.

Misako gasped. "She's downloading the _Bounty's_ information again - if she gets that, then she'll be able to take the ship and Nya's Samurai mech!"

Her hands flying over the keyboard, Nya said, "I'm on it. The Samurai Z is still on the _Bounty_ \- I'm trying to access it."

"Samurai Z?" Edna said.

"She has multiple Samurai suits," Misako explained hastily. "Just in case there's ever an emergency like this one."

"Aha," Edna said, nodding. "Good thinking."

Eboni proceeded to lean over the dashboard and press the button on the peculiar jump-drive. The _Bounty's_ screen flickered, then a new set of files appeared in front of Eboni.

"No way," Nya breathed. "She decoded my hidden files. I don't believe it."

Wu looked over at her. "You have hidden files?" he said.

"Important ones," Nya said. "I encrypt the files with the information on civilians and missions, so that they don't fall into the wrong hands... but she just decrypted them like _that_!"

"Hurry, Nya," Garmadon said. "We don't have time to waste!"

Nya's heart pounded in her ears. Eboni's typing speed matched Nya's own, and within two minutes she would have all the information she needed - she was fast, and Nya needed to be faster.

"You can do it, Nya," Misako said softly. The others watched Nya's fingers as they switched from the tracker's keyboard to its touchscreen.

The request to access the Samurai Z popped up on her tracker's screen. "Yes yes yes," Nya said frantically, hitting enter. The Samurai Z's functions replaced the request. "Power _on_, weaponry _on_, command source _open_..." Nya opened the tab titled "command source" on the bottom left corner - a small document with the characters _/What would you have me do? _on its white page.

Eboni was still downloading the Destiny's Bounty's information. Nya tapped the document and commanded the Samurai Z.

_/What would you have me do?_

_Target = _intruder_; _Nya typed. _If lifeform(15-meters), target; Method _hostage_; /leave them alive and unhurt. _

The Samurai Z processed this, then a new sentence flashed beneath hers.

_Request successful. _

"The Samurai Z is up and running!" Nya said. "Target is Eboni. She's not getting out of there with that information."

The room let out a sigh. "Yes!" Edna cheered. Wu fell backwards onto the couch, wiping his forehead, while Garmadon and Misako both laughed, relieved.

With shaking hands, Nya switched the monitor to the eleventh; her room, where the Samurai Z mech was. The mech was hobbling out of the door. Though comparatively smaller than the Samurai X, only about the size of a human, it had features that the more powerful mech didn't.

Nya slid the image back to the Bridge. The _Destiny's_ _Bounty's_ information and controls were about half downloaded. While it was downloading, Eboni was cruising around on the _Bounty's_ desktop.

A pop-up appeared on Nya's tracker. "Alert: more than one user on this network", it read.

Nya smiled, but it came out as a grimace. _No_ _duh_.

Eboni flicked a switch on the strange jump drive. Words flashed on the screen: _File count: 47_. _Files downloaded: 28/46_.

She frowned, then went back to the finder, scrolling through the files that appeared.

"Ha," Nya said. "She's never going to get this one."

The others looked at her, confused. Nya explained, "I hid a file's contents completely by throwing an empty file over the top of it and disabling the link between the two. To anyone who doesn't know what it is, it's just an empty file."

Garmadon laughed. "What did I tell you? She's genius."

Eboni rubbed her chin as she scrolled. Then she stopped. The cursor hovered over an empty file. Nya's smile faded.

"No way."

Eboni selected the file and hit delete.

A pop-up flashed, stopping her. _File_ _cannot_ _be_ _deleted_. Eboni grinned widely.

"Well-played, Samurai," she muttered, and opened the file. Inside it was a document.

Nya fell backwards onto the couch, her hands in her hair and her eyes wide. "I'm no genius," she whispered. "_She_ is. Whatever that jump drive was programmed to do, it did it. I don't believe it..."

At that moment, a loud crash emitted from the television's speakers, and Eboni whipped around.

The Samurai Z stood in the doorway to the Bridge, looking at Eboni, almost inquisitively.

Eboni took one look at it and whirled, clicking the empty file and telling the computer to download its contents. The computer argued that it had no contents, so with a growl, Eboni dragged the document from the file and dropped it onto the jump drive's icon.

"_Target_ _intruder_," the Samurai Z said. Eboni backed up from the dashboard, pulling two daggers from her belt and lifting her mask.

"Great," she said sarcastically. "Just make this easier for me by throwing in the giant remote-controlled robot. Thanks a lot."

Lou was starting to regain consciousness. He looked up at the mech suit above him and gave a soft chuckle.

"Heyyy.." he murmured. "It's the Samurai lady. Cole's told me all about you and your gizmos... thanks for the rescue."

* * *

Down, PTR

7:30 AM

* * *

_Hurry up. _

Kai skidded, putting his hand to the floor as the hot wind from his Spinjitzu tornado swirled around him. Sparks flickered and died, and the flames from his whirlwind licked his face before puffing out. He ran a gloved hand across his forehead and frowned.

_The world depends on it. I'm so close... _

Kai gritted his teeth, then spun. He let the bright, fiery tornado envelop him, clutching the stone in his hand tighter, seeking Shauto's presence.

_Spinjitzu is Shauto. I've known it all along, I've used it over and over again. So... so why can't I..._

Shauto was there. He could sense it. He couldn't quite feel it, or see it, or touch it, but he knew it was there. It came with the peace of Spinjitzu, the tranquility of the Takigyo waterfall - just out of his reach and just real enough to make him want it.

It was as much an internal struggle as it was a physical one. With his body, he drew close to Shauto; with his mind, he reached out to it. He had been training for hours with no success, but he was determined to learn it.

He _had_ to learn it.

And then, quite suddenly, he could feel it. Peaceful, bright.

Right there.

_Grab it. Grab it now._

The tornado around him spun faster. Flames jumped and spiraled as he sped up, reaching for Shauto, his hand stretched out for it.

_Almost... got it... _

He lunged, and Shauto dodged.

Kai gave a shout and toppled over, his Spinjitzu snuffing out as he hit the floor.

Kai moaned. He brought his hand to his head, which was pounding with a migraine, and sat up wearily.

He couldn't believe he had missed Shauto _again_. The elusive thing. If London was right, and Shauto was really a being with real intelligence, Kai would have thought that it was teasing him.

No matter. He had to keep trying. He wasn't ready to let Shauto beat him.

"Don't be so pushy."

Kai stood up quickly, fear prickling at his mind. He cursed. "December," he said, turning around, wringing his hands. "You scared me."

"Oh - sorry," December said. She and Lloyd stood to the side of the Ninja's training area, watching Kai push himself - Kai had no idea how long they had been there, but they had probably been watching him for some time. Lloyd was probably waiting his turn.

Kai stretched, his muscles crying out. He ignored the ache. "You're going to just stand there and watch me, then?" he said, slightly annoyed.

December's expression was candid. "You shouldn't try so hard."

_You shouldn't try so hard. _Why? Was there some reason why December was so intent on making him lose confidence?... Did December think that he couldn't handle learning Shauto because of his condition? She should know that he was almost cured. A few more Takigyo sessions and the fear would be gone.

She thought he was weak. That he wasn't good enough for this.

"What is your da-" he started, then cut himself off abruptly. It was happening again. He could feel fear and anger taking over his thoughts, making his hands shake and his thoughts treacherously frantic.

He clenched his fists, bit his tongue; he looked away, breathing out his frustration and fear.

He _hated_ this fear.

"I can't _not_ try," he said finally, swallowing the tremor in his voice. "The world depends on us learning Shauto and getting rid of Whisperers."

"Right," December said. "And just what good are you to NinjaGo if you've fainted from exhaustion?"

_Crack_. Kai's knuckles popped. He clenched his hands together, a little sheepishly.

"Besides," she said. "You're going about it all wrong. You're more than prepared to accept Shauto, but you're not allowing it to come."

"Fine," Kai said suddenly. His tone was harsh, and he closed his mouth and swallowed. "Sorry," he muttered, then turned away, rocking back and forth on his heels.

December and Lloyd watched him compose himself. Kai refused to look at either of them - he knew what their countenances would be.

Lloyd would look worried and December would look pitying.

"Every time I think I'm fine," Kai growled to himself, "I snap. Ohh, I can't wait to learn Shauto and get my hands on a Whisperer... they're gonna pay for messing me up..."

He turned back to them. Their expressions shifted quickly, and Kai pursed his lips. "Alright, then. Tell me what I'm doing wrong."

"I already did." December stepped into the Spinjitzu rectangle, holding a gloved hand out to Kai. "Here."

Kai took the peppermint from her outstretched hand and popped it in his mouth.

"Don't push so much," December advised. "When you're reaching out to Shauto, you have to let it reach out to _you_. It comes more naturally than you think."

"Alright, alright. So you're telling me to be patient." Kai let out a breath through his nose and spread his feet apart, gearing up to perform Spinjitzu again.

"That's one way you could put it," December said. "Give it another go."

The Master of Fire gritted his teeth, while December left the area that he was training in, standing beside Lloyd to watch. Then he started spinning, whirling in a circle until fire erupted around him.

_Don't push. Let _Shauto_ reach out to _you_... You can do this, Kai._

The tornado was gaining speed as the same sort of tranquility washed over him again. The tranquility which he assumed was Shauto.

_There it is... don't push it, just let it come to you. Just be patient. _

Patient.

Then it hit him. All at once, all a blur, all so fast and beautiful.

He gasped. His knees buckled, and fire around him flickered and disappeared.

"Kai!"

Lloyd's voice. He was shaking Kai's shoulders, his face hovering above the Master of Fire's, worry in his features. "Kai, are you alright?"

What could he call it? Peace? Zen? Nirvana? Point-blank joy? What had hit Kai so hard that it knocked him over?

"Are you alright?"

"Weak," Kai managed. He coughed. Lloyd helped him sit up; December was there, too, looking equally concerned and serious.

"Weak?" she repeated.

"Y-yeah," Kai said. "I feel weak... but good."

December's worried expression broke, and she smiled. "Well, that was a dramatic acceptance," she said.

Kai shook his head. "N-no. No, I didn't accept Shauto..."

He turned sharply to look at her. "Take me to the Takigyo garden."

"The - the Takigyo garden?"

"Take me there. I have to get under that waterfall, and fast."

December blinked. Then she nodded. "Right," she said. "Can you stand?"

Kai hesitated, then shook his head. So Lloyd and December both leaned down and slipped their hands beneath Kai's arms, lifting him into the air. Once he got his footing he started walking away from the Spinjitzu training area, toward the door.

Shauto was there. He had felt it - could still feel it, pulsing inside him. His pace quickened.

_I have to get to that waterfall._


	22. Don't Die

Don't Die

* * *

Birchwood Forest

7:45 AM

* * *

"_Da da daaaaa. Da da da da, dum dum dum_."

Amilia gritted her teeth.

"_Da dum dum de da. Daa daaaaa. Do, do do, da_."

Amilia took off her wrist communicator and shoved it in her pocket. Gahiji had done the same with his long ago, but there was still a muffled "_da da dum de deee_" emitting from it.

"_Da da da.. DAAAAH!_"

Amilia finally cracked, and took the communicator back out of her pocket. "_Azamat_!" she hissed. The "_da da daaaa_"-ing stopped abruptly.

"What?" the communicator said in Azamat's voice.

Amilia composed herself before she said, in a venomous tone, "Azzy, really. Shut. Up."

"Sorry," Azamat said sheepishly. "Just trying to lighten the mood. Nothing is as enlightening as those pentatonic tunes, sis. I thought you'd appreciate it."

Gahiji, who was hiding next to Amilia, said something indiscernible. It sounded sarcastic.

"If you really wanted to lighten the mood, pull up a Shield for me," Amilia said, clenching her teeth around a Shauto pen as she pulled out some Shauto stones.

"Uh-huh, on it."

"I love missions with Azamat in the Operations," Gahiji muttered, irritated, as he pulled out two Shauto stones of his own. This time Amilia understood what he said. She agreed with him, too.

"Alright," Gahiji said quietly. "There are ten Whisperers in the trees. We can use the snow to our advantage, but for now, sit tight until Azamat can get you a Shield."

Azamat made popping sounds with his tongue as he activated the Shauto shields. _Pop_, _pop_, _pop_. Gahiji mouthed a curse.

"Azamat," he growled. "We're under a lot of stress here. If you make one more absent noise - "

"Y-yeah, sorry. I'll pulling up your Shield now, Amilia."

Shauto rushed through Amilia's being. A pale greenish light started to emit from around her ankles, where the Shield symbol was embroidered on a sash tied around her boot. It grew to form an orb of brightness around her; Azamat had remotely activated her Shield. It would protect her from nearly anything that attacked her.

Pale green-blue. That was the color of Amilia's soul when observed under the influence of See, and that was why her Shield was a powdery jade color. Probably due to the elements her soul possessed.

It was a straightforward thing. All souls in NinjaGo were in tune with an element. It was the makeup of every Ninjagian in existence. A soul was composed of multiple elements which pulled and pushed on one's personality, influencing one's soul and choices.

Amilia was sure that there was a way to find out which elements one's soul was composed of, but wasn't certain of how yet. All she could determine was that a soul's color reflected a soul's elemental makeup. That was another of her many projects; to figure out how to examine one's soul.

It drove Amilia crazy not to know what her own elements were.

That was also why Amilia couldn't activate her shield herself. Someone had to transfer her soul's energy to the shield for her. Amilia and London were both working on a way to change that, and had gained some headway, but no theory was solid enough to test yet.

"Your Shield up?" Gahiji asked, turning and seeing the light greenish-blue globe that radiated around Amilia. He nodded his approval and turned on his own Shield.

Gahiji was the only one out of the Five who could activate his own Shield. He could activate _any_ Shauto shield, as a matter of fact. The way he did it didn't work for anyone else, either. Amilia was starting to suspect that there were some aspects of Shauto that were individualized, because Gahiji's ease at completing an action that even London couldn't do was quite unfair.

"Are you ready for this?" Gahiji asked, hefting his stones. Amilia gritted her teeth, glancing around the tree they were hiding behind.

Whisperers. A lot of them. They were agitated, too. Amilia scanned them with her sharp green eyes. They almost seemed as if they were... looking for something.

Troubling. Whisperers didn't look for things. If London was right, then they were being directed by the same organization that had ambushed the Five.

"Almost," Amilia replied softly. She turned back around, taking a deep breath. "Give me a moment. I'm having difficulty evaluating the danger we're in."

Gahiji looked away, then leaned down, starting to draw a Rescue symbol in the snow at their feet.

His Shield glowed around him, pulsing softly. Amilia found her eyes drawn to it once more.

Gahiji's soul aura was one that deeply intrigued Amilia. Every soul was obviously different from any other, but Gahiji's was just plain strange. It made Amilia wonder what sort of elements _his_ soul was composed of, because she had never come across one like his, nor expected that one like his could exist.

It was completely transparent. A clear, prism-like shape, as opposed to the common globe aura. It shone unblemished, like pure ice - like a window.

But the really strange thing about Gahiji's soul aura was that if you looked at someone else's soul through it, Gahiji's aura would suddenly burst into an array of light and color. The prism would refract the other soul's glow and illuminate its surroundings with every color of the rainbow.

It fascinated Amilia. She was itching to study it, but she knew the answer to her request for permission already.

"Alright," Amilia murmured, after she'd had her moment. "I believe I am ready to face these Whisperers."

Gahiji grunted in acknowledgement and looked up from the symbols he had drawn in the snow. These Shauto symbols would magnify the power of Rescue by drawing power from the snow's element; the element of ice.

"Glad I'm in Down," Azamat said. "Just don't die, alright, sis?"

"I won't die if you promise to be useful," Amilia snapped.

"Fine, fine."

"No more pentatonic tunes, either."

"... But..."

"Azamat," Gahiji said quietly. Azamat reluctantly shut his mouth.

"Are you ready, Amilia?" Gahiji said.

Amilia nodded.

There was a silent countdown as Gahiji touched his finger to the snow and the symbol drawn in it. Amilia was ready. She hoped.

"_Zlo ischeznet_," Gahiji whispered. The Shauto's Life Circle began to glow bright green, and the light spread into the Connection Rivers, channeling its power into the Elemental grips.

"Abort, abort!" Azamat said suddenly, his voice blurting from the wrist communicator.

Gahiji lifted his hand sharply from the snow, and Shauto's energy was cut off abruptly.

Amilia took her communicator back out of her pocket. "What happened?"

"It's not just Whisperers," Azamat said. He sounded urgent. "There's Hidein there, too!"

"_What_?" Gahiji said.

Amilia peered around the tree, scanning the Whisperers again. She didn't see any human figures.

Until one of the Whisperers moved, and a huddle of figures were revealed, stark black against the white surroundings.

Amilia swallowed hard and pressed herself harder against the tree. "You couldn't have told us that earlier?!" she hissed.

"I didn't know they were there!" Azamat said. "London's Birds didn't get out there until just now -"

"You said they were already here!" Gahiji said. He looked ready to grab the wrist communicator out of Amilia's hands and throw it as far as he could into the forest. The Birds were a flying video surveillance system designed by London to oversee patrols. This meant that Azamat hadn't actually seen what the situation was until just now.

"Ah - I - thought they'd be there quicker. There are Hidein in your midst, do not engage."

"Azzy," Amilia murmured with a groan. "You don't know how much I want to punch you."

Gahiji clenched his jaw as he looked around the tree, spotting the Hidein on the other side of the clearing. "Damn it, Azamat," he muttered. "Do you _know_ what Hidein can do?"

"I - w-well, I -" Azamat sounded scared.

"Save it," Gahiji said finally, pulling the fabric of his cloak over his mouth and exhaling.

Amilia was frozen with fear. _Don't worry, _she thought. _The Hidein can't see us while we're Shielded, and neither can the Whisperers. We're safe._

_For the most part._

_But... if there are Hidein here... _

Amilia's eyes widened, and she started tapping on her knees with two fingers as she thought.

_It all adds up. Hidein are controlling the Whisperers. The Whisperers are looking for something, and the Hidein are here with them, which means they expect to find what they're looking for, and whatever they're looking for is here in the forest -_

_Oh Overlord._

"Gahiji," Amilia murmured. Gahiji turned his head to glance at her. "Gahiji, they're looking for us. They knew we'd be here."

Gahiji blinked. "How?"

"No idea," Amilia said. "But think about it. Why else are Hidein out in the middle of nowhere with some leashed-up Whisperers? What else would they be looking for but us?"

Gahiji looked away, clenching his fists.

"What do we do?" Amilia said, looking back at the Hidein.

"We can't let them survive," Gahiji said. He closed his eyes, his brow twitching as he thought. "They're a danger to NinjaGo. We have to fight them..." He huffed, shaking his head slowly. "But _you're_ here. You can't fight the Hidein, and I can't take on Whisperers and Hidein at the same time."

"Then don't," Azamat said suddenly. Amilia and Gahiji glanced to the wrist communicator. "Amilia can fight the Whisperers from where she is. You can take the Hidein out while she's getting rid of the Whisperers. Plus, Shauto will stun the Hidein, so that will give you enough time to get out there before they can retaliate."

Gahiji turned to Amilia. "Can you handle this?"

"Of course," Amilia said hotly. "If things go south, I'm just as much a Shautei as you are. Trust me, Gahiji."

He hesitated. Then he growled. "Fine. Azamat, if she hurts herself, it's not my fault."

"Obviously," Azamat said. "But I trust her."

Amilia felt her face heat up. "Honestly!" she exclaimed in a hushed, but appalled voice. "You _men_. Why can't you trust me?"

"Hey!" Azamat said. "I just said that I trusted you, sis, take a chill pill."

"I'm equally as qualified as either of you, in some ways _more_ qualified -"

"Let's save the sexist accusations for _after_ we get out of here," Gahiji said, shooting her a silencing glare. Amilia clamped her mouth shut reluctantly, though she was still seething. "Azamat, monitor the Birds. If either Amilia or I get hurt, allow them to defend us - but don't let the Hidein get their hands on anything."

"You got it," Azamat said. "The last thing we want is this organization receiving a signal from Down."

"Amilia," Gahiji began.

"Don't you dare ask me whether or not I'm ready," Amilia snapped before he could continue.

Gahiji's lips pursed.

"Sis," Azamat said gently into the wrist communicator.

"It's fine," Gahiji said. He eyed her, almost distrustfully. "Keep your temper, Amilia."

"R-right," Amilia said, avoiding his gaze.

Gahiji's eyes slid from Amilia to the Shauto symbol in the snow. He hefted one of his stones, then placed it in the center of the symbol. The Rivers on the stone and the snow connected.

"Good luck, sis," Azamat murmured. His tone was surprisingly solemn. "I meant what I said earlier - don't die on me."

"You don't -?!"

"I _do_ trust you, sis. But these are Hidein we're talking about. Don't get careless."

Amilia blinked. Then she nodded.

"Oh, and Gahiji..." Azamat said. "Uh, hardly needs to be said, but don't you go dying, either. December will kill me."

Gahiji snorted. "If I die, she'll kill _me_."

"Exactly. Don't die."

* * *

Down, Takigyo Garden

8:04 AM

* * *

The waterfall pounded on Kai's shoulders, numbing them, and emptying his mind of anything but the pain and the peace.

_Let Shauto come to you._

He could feel it. It was coming. Reaching for him.

It was grand.

He could see it, in his mind's eye. Green. Bright green, green until it was white.

Green. What was so important about that color? Everywhere in history, it seemed to be a primary focus. Was it because it was the color of life? Or the color of the Green Ninja's suit?

... The color of Shauto?

_Please,_ Kai thought, with a desperation he didn't know he had. _Please, I want this. _

To think that the Five lived with this extreme power. This sense of tranquility and beauty, constant and consistent in their existence. It was something Kai would have thought too good to be true, but too amazing to want to live without it. _How_ had he lived without it?

He didn't just want this; he _needed_ this. For the spell he was under, or for his own existence, he didn't know, but it was so clear that he needed Shauto. He had tasted it before, in Spinjitzu, and in Takigyo.

But never like this. Never with this pure and enveloping beauty.

When the Five explained Shauto, they hadn't told him just how delightful it was.

_I need this. _He reached out. _I need this! Please! _

_I can feel the Whisperer's spell leaving me. The fear, the distrust - it's all going away! _

Desperation. He pushed.

And Shauto shied away.

_What -_

_No._

He reached out farther. Shauto's presence was leaving him.

_No. I need this - it can't just _leave_!_

Gone.

Kai's knees buckled, and he hit the water.

The rush of the waterfall could still be heard while he was submerged. He barely registered that he had fallen in, until someone grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.

He gasped and coughed, nearly collapsing with the effort. He shook his head to clear it, looking up at Lloyd, who was supporting him.

"Kai," Lloyd said, looking worried but excited. "Kai, what happened? Did you unlock Shauto?"

Kai opened his mouth, then closed it. He felt numb.

He should have had it.

December leaned over the side of the Takigyo pool, watching them with intent concern. "Help him out of the pool," she directed.

Lloyd nodded. Kai clutched the Green Ninja's gloved hands, and let Lloyd guide him out of the water. The water seemed to be actively dragging on him, his soaked pants floating sluggishly around his legs, making it hard to move. He was weak and trembling all over.

They reached the edge of the pool, at which point December took Kai's other hand, and she and Lloyd helped Kai out onto the side of the water.

"Kai, did you unlock Shauto?" Lloyd said again, urgently. His eyes shone with longing and excitement as he looked at Kai.

Kai swallowed hard. Then he looked up at the Green Ninja, and shook his head.

"I don't understand," he whispered. "I - I had it. It was in my hands, it was there... why didn't I...?"

There was a stunned silence.

Kai couldn't feel anything but shock for a long time.

_It... it rejected me._

_Shauto rejected me. Why? Is it because of the spell on me? That - that's not fair! I should have unlocked it!_

_So I'm unworthy to use Shauto, is that it? So I'm too crazy to use it properly?_

Kai froze.

_Crazy. _

_I've gone crazy. That's why Shauto rejected me. _

_I'm crazy. _

"Kai, don't worry," December said softly. She looked at Lloyd. "It's okay. It took most of the Five a long time to get Shauto to trust us enough to lend its power to us. It usually takes more time than you've spent to get it, even with Spinjitzu -"

"I'm crazy!" Kai blurted.

December and Lloyd looked at him, surprised.

"That's why I haven't unlocked Shauto," Kai said. His voice shook. "I'm too crazy."

December bit her lip. "It's too early," she muttered, letting go of Kai's arm. "We should have waited until the spell had lifted to start him on Shauto."

Kai ran his hands through his hair. "T-too early?" he said. His voice was rising steadily. "Too early? So I'm a project, is that it?"

Lloyd shook his head, holding his hands out to Kai, as if the Master of Fire was a frightened horse. A steadying gesture. "No, Kai, don't think like that," he said. "It's the Whisperer's song - it's getting to you."

December nodded, glancing from Kai to Lloyd. "I'm so sorry, Kai," she said gently.

"You're sorry?" Kai's heart pounded in his ears relentlessly. He could barely process what was coming out of his mouth, he was so afraid and _so_ angry. He was shouting now. "You're _sorry_? For what? For me? For your failed experiment? I'm just a crazy project! Don't pretend like I can possibly know what it feels like to be pitied, because obviously I'm too crazy to understand! I'm a _ticking time bomb _waiting to explode, then return back to normal, then do it all over again!"

"Kai," December said. "Stop. You're letting the spell get the better of -"

"No!" Kai shouted. "What did you do? You let me go, you let me into that forest with the Whisperers, and you didn't even get rid of them! And now I'm crazy! It's _your_ fault!"

"Kai!" Lloyd touched his shoulder, but Kai pushed Lloyd's hands off of him and grabbed Lloyd by the wrists. Lloyd gasped.

"_Don't_!" Kai screamed at him, pushing him backwards and shaking his wrists. "Don't you pity me, Lloyd! I can't stand it! All of you, Cole, Zane, Jay - you're all pitying me and I _hate_ it!"

Lloyd froze, his mouth open, shocked and terrified.

Kai swayed on his feet and let go of Lloyd's hands. He backed up into the greenery, feeling the anger dissipate. Leaving grief and guilt in its place.

_What am I doing?_

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He fell on the ground, clasping his hands to his mouth, shaking all over. "I'm sorry, Lloyd!"

Lloyd was silent as he stared at Kai.

Kai's mind raced. _It was the spell. It was my stupid fear and anger. No wonder Shauto rejected me... I'm insane. So insane that I'm hurting my friends. _

_Lloyd... He's looking at me like I'm some sort of monster. Like I'm... like I'm insane._

_I'm insane._

"Kai," December said. She approached him slowly, crouching down in front of him. Kai met her gaze, which was steady. Her eyes were blue.

Was that bright blue normal for an Amidian? He knew that silver was Amid, but didn't recall blue being the mark of a Amidian.

She reached her hand out to him. "Hey," she said. "You alright?"

Kai hesitated.

"I'll help you up."

He took her hand after a moment, and she helped him to his feet. "Come on," she said. "You need to rest."

Kai nodded wordlessly, glancing at Lloyd. The Green Ninja was watching Kai, his expression hard and hurt at the same time. Kai bit his lip.

_Oh, Lloyd, _he thought in despair. _What have I become?_

* * *

Birchwood Forest

* * *

Gahiji took a deep breath and peered around the tree at the Hidein, collecting himself.

Three were crouched in the snow. Gahiji wasn't surprised to see that he recognized their uniforms. Goggles and open hands, whirring shurikens suspended in the air. Like the assassins that had ambushed him in Akai.

The last one was standing upright, a long, black cloak fluttering behind him in the wind. He was perfectly visible, and although Gahiji couldn't make out his features, he saw that he was pale, with black hair. Obviously the leader of the pack, and obviously the one who had to be protected.

He was using Hidoi. Gahiji felt it, in the ground... he was directing the Whisperers, telling them where to search.

He looked familiar. And, at least from here, he definitely matched the appearance of someone Gahiji had come to know very well...

"Alright," Amilia said. She turned to Gahiji and shot him a look, to confirm he was ready.

Gahiji gave a small nod.

Amilia turned back to the symbol in the snow and took a deep breath. Then she whispered, "_Zlo ischeznet._"

The markings on the stone reacted to her words, lighting up with a brilliant green light; they spread from the stone to the Connection Rivers drawn in the snow, lighting up a swirling Rescue symbol. Shauto drew energy from Amilia's soul, breaking it down into the elements it was composed of and using them as fuel for the Rescue. The snow around the Shauto symbol immediately started to dissolve into nothing; Shauto was also taking elements from the snow and transferring them to pure energy.

Gahiji gave one last muttered swear word before the screaming started.

He darted out from behind the tree, running as fast as he could across the clearing. Snow flew up behind him as he sprinted between writhing and screaming Whisperers, straight at the shocked Hidein.

The huddle of figures were stunned at the sudden shift in energy. Before they even had the sense to react, Gahiji was on them. He kicked one of the crouching guards into the snow, turned and shoved his hand beneath the legs of another, flipping him upside-down onto his back.

The other guard came to himself quickly, and before Gahiji could attack him, he jumped from his crouching position and landed on his feet, cursing. He flicked his wrist, and Gahiji ducked the shuriken that came flying his way.

The cloaked Hidein was the last to realize what was happening. He looked at the two downed Hidein, then to Gahiji, and bolted from the scene.

One of the guards on the ground was starting to stir. Gahiji swiveled as the shuriken came flying back to the guard he was fighting, then backed up, stepping hard on the stirring guard's upper back, putting him out of commission for another couple of moments.

The guard jumped forward, throwing out his leg to sweep Gahiji off his feet. The Amidian caught his intention too late, and pivoted on one foot around the guard's leg, catching the guard in the back with his leg and pushing him to the snow.

Gahiji regained his balance before turning to put his foot down on the man's back, before someone kicked him viciously in the leg. He gasped and fell over backwards.

When the world stopped spinning, he found the second guard standing over him, grinning wickedly and holding a whirring shuriken.

Gahiji turned his body just as the guard threw the shuriken down at him, the weapon shooting past him and hitting the snow before zooming back to the guard's open hand. The guard tried again, using one hand to pin Gahiji down and throwing the shuriken back downwards, like a yo yo.

Gahiji barely dodged the attack, and the shuriken grazed his arm. The Amidian yelped. He looked up at the guard, bared his teeth, and wrapped the guard's foot in his leg, pulling it to Gahiji's body and locking it in place. Gahiji pushed the guard over backwards, the guard's bone snapping in two.

The man screamed.

Gahiji let go of the Hidein and leapt onto all fours like a cat. He glanced around. The Whisperers were dying; there was only a few left, and they were dissolving, imploding on themselves and shrieking. Amilia was almost done.

Azamat was shouting something into the wrist communicator. Gahiji tried to make out what he was saying, when he was jerked to the ground violently.

He huffed, stunned, before breathing in - and finding that he couldn't.

_Perfect, _Gahiji thought venomously. Something was crushing his throat relentlessly. Pinning him to the snow, too. It was too strong of a force to be a human strangling him.

It was Hidoi. One of the guards - or perhaps the cloaked Hidein - was using Hidoi to hold him still and suffocate him.

Gahiji let himself relax, even though his vision was starting to blur and grown dark. The Hidoi shrank back suddenly as Gahiji's Shield started to fight against it. Shauto eventually won, and the crushing force let up so that Gahiji could breath again.

As soon as the Hidoi left, though, a guard rammed his elbow into Gahiji's collar. A blazing pain filled Gahiji's neck and throat - the guard had fractured his voice box. Gahiji took a shuddering breath before the Hidein's boot caught him in the chest.

Gahiji squeaked.

The guard attacking him was the one that Gahiji had kicked over. He went to punch him in the face, when Gahiji's hand caught his fist. The guard stopped. Gahiji glared at him as his grip around the man's knuckles tightened, and he jerked the guard's hand, making his wrist bend backwards. The guard screamed as the pressure forced his bone through his wrist. Gahiji kicked him in the stomach and pushed him off himself.

Azamat was still yelling at him, but Gahiji couldn't understand a word he was saying.

He struggled to his feet. It hurt to swallow, and the gash in his arm was bleeding profusely. Two guards were down, one with a broken leg and the other with a bone sticking out of his hand. The last one was just now getting to his feet after Gahiji had knocked him down.

Gahiji jumped on the chance and kicked him back over. His vision was blurring, though, and he stumbled backwards, bringing his hand up to the base of his neck, where the inside of his throat was still burning.

Still, that fight wasn't nearly as hard as he had thought it would be.

"_Gahiji_!" Azamat screamed. There was a note of desperation in his voice that made Gahiji cringe.

Gahiji wanted to respond, but nothing would come out without sounding scratched - and hurting a lot. Each intake of breath sent a drilling pain throughout his chest.

"My sister!" Azamat said. "He's attacking my sister!"

Gahiji whipped around.

The cloaked Hidein that had run when Gahiji attacked was not twenty feet away, half hidden by a tree trunk. He was crouched over Amilia, his hands pinning her wrists to the snow, his face down close to hers; from where Gahiji was, it almost looked as if their lips were connected.

_Amilia! _

Gahiji leapt to his feet, sprinting through the snow towards her with unmatched speed.

He launched a flying kick that caught the Hidein in the side, forcing him off Amilia. The Hidein and Gahiji tumbled together, and Gahiji caught a hold of the furry collar of his enemy's cloak.

It was a flurry of snowflakes and black fabric as the Hidein's cloak tangled them together. When they finally stopped rolling, Gahiji struggled, elbowing the Hidein multiple times in the back before he disentangled himself.

The Hidein yelped and whimpered. Gahiji scrambled to his feet, wiping blood from his nose, watching the Hidein lie on the ground, shaking and hacking.

Gahiji looked up at Amilia, who lie on the ground not far away. He jumped over the cloaked Hidein and ran to her, skidding in the snow and sending flakes flying over her body.

From Gahiji's wrist communicator, Azamat was freaking out. "Oh, Overlord, Amilia!" he kept saying. "Gahiji please -!"

Gahiji tuned him out and checked her vitals. She wasn't dead, but she was definitely out cold. Blood streamed from a gash in her forehead, and her shirt was ripped at the collar, but she seemed otherwise unharmed.

"She's okay," Azamat whispered. His voice grew faint. "She's okay."

Gahiji peered closer at her. No - not unharmed. There was a wound in her neck. Were those indentations... a bite?

Gahiji blinked. _He _bit_ her? I could understand a punch, a kick, a slap, even - but a bite? _

He turned to see the Hidein crawling away. A trail of blood followed the cloaked figure through the snow.

"Hey!" Gahiji barked at him, getting to his feet.

The Hidein whipped around. Blood and bile dripped from his chin, and his brown eyes were wide and frightened, but there was no mistaking this man for anyone else.

Gahiji froze. _How -?!_

"_Hokori_?" he mouthed. His voice made no sound.

Hokori's expression hardened. Then, to Gahiji's horror, he dissolved.

Gahiji's eyes searched the place where Hokori had been moments before. _The coward - he used Hidoi to transport himself away, _he thought, clenching his fist.

That was when the shuriken hit him in the back.

Gahiji gasped and pitched forward, catching himself of his hands and knees.

He twisted around, glaring back at the guards, but all three of them were on the ground, silent as the grave.

If they were all out for the count, then who -?

The shuriken was suddenly wrenched out of his back. Gahiji gave a strangled, broken scream and collapsed, gritting his teeth at the pain. He looked up in time to see the shuriken zooming into the sky.

His stomach dropped.

Soaring high above him was a wide, majestic, flying ship - the _Destiny's Bounty_. The shuriken flew back to the hand of the oppressor, a pale woman aboard the ship. Gahiji's eyes narrowed to see the blurry figure of Hokori, now reassembled and solid, standing next to her.

_You're kidding me,_ Gahiji thought. He rolled over onto his back, where his blood stained the icy flakes red. His vision fuzzed in and out of focus, his mind a haze of pain.

"Gahiji!" came Azamat's voice. "Gahiji, listen to me. You need to Heal and get yourself and my sister out of there, do you hear me?"

Gahiji could only breathe and try to tune out the pain, his chest heaving and his mind racing.

"Come on, Gahiji, answer me."

_It all makes sense. Hokori's the one behind this - that explains his assassins, his tactics, the Hidoi, and how he knows about us._

"Gahiji!"

_I thought I was so careful, _Gahiji thought in dismay. _I thought I had everything hidden from him... Guess I'm not as careful as I thought I was. _

"Gahiji, do you hear me? Heal and teleport back to Down!"

Gahiji's hands fumbled in his pocket for a vial of peppermint extract. With a shaking finger, he drew a Heal symbol on his chest with the extract, and whispered, "_Zhit'_, _iststelyat_."

Gahiji felt a terrible wrench in his collarbone as his larynx healed. The wound in his arm was healing, too; he felt the cut starting to mend itself, and a strange tingle as his skin grew back much faster than it should have.

"_Gahiji_!" Azamat said, his voice cracking. "What's wrong?"

"I-I hear you," Gahiji croaked. He coughed.

"Good. Hurry, Gahiji, you're losing a lot of blood."

Gahiji clenched his fists. "Right," he said, breathless. "Right."


	23. Julien

Julien

* * *

Birchwood Forest

8:15 AM

* * *

_Heal._

The Shauto reached past Gahiji's skin down to his back, healing the wound. The blood cells reproduced themselves, the skin meshed back together, and the pain ebbed from his system.

He sat up as he regained some of his strength. His Shield flickered, then deactivated with a fizzle of light, and he brought a shaking hand to his forehead to push his hair from his eyes.

Something buzzed by Gahiji's ear, and he flinched, until he realized it wasn't a shuriken, but a Bird. London's hovering device hung by his face, whirring and focusing on Gahiji's annoyed expression.

"Hi," Azamat said.

Gahiji, unimpressed, raised his hand and flicked the Bird in the lens, making its flight stutter slightly. Azamat chuckled as he maneuvered the Bird out of the Amidian's vicinity.

"Great. You're healed, now get my sister out of there," Azamat said. "You still have your coin, right?"

Gahiji grunted, pulling out his teleportation coin. He glanced at the Hidein guards, which lay in the snow a good distance from the two downed Five. The snow around them was red with blood.

"I'm going to see if I can get some information," Gahiji said, standing up. Azamat made a sound of annoyance, but he didn't contradict him as Gahiji walked through the snow toward the Hidein.

Gahiji crouched down beside one of the two conscious Hidein. The man was spread out on the ground, moaning; Gahiji wasn't surprised to see that his skin was a rich, deep, chocolate color, and the half-beard on his face matched the snow.

The man was Amidian. Not surprising... he had probably chosen work as a Hidein over work as a slave. Gahiji wasn't quite sure what to think of that. The guard opened his eyes and stared at Gahiji blearily.

Gahiji reached forward and ripped the Hidein's grenades and dagger off his belt. He also pocketed the Temno gun. _Hokori's army's uniforms have changed since I last encountered them, _he reflected. He glanced towards the Amid Hidein, who glared back at him, eyes so pale they were nearly white. _But he still doesn't shy away from using us Amid. _

"Hey," Gahiji said. "I don't like hurting you as much as you don't like hurting me."

The guard coughed. It was an attempted laugh.

"Who instructed you to come here?" Gahiji said.

Blood rimmed the guard's sharp teeth, which were bared in a weak smile. "Like I'd tell you."

Gahiji's hand went to the man's throat. The man choked. "_Who_ instructed you to do this?" he repeated.

"W-Wyche," the guard said, gasping and coughing. "Hokori Wyche."

"And who's instructing him?"

"No one."

Gahiji's eyes narrowed. He allowed his grip on the man's neck to tighten, and the Hidein hacked for air. "_Who_?"

"No one, I swear!" the guard said.

A lie. Hokori couldn't be the head of this organization - the last thing on his mind was the destruction of the world. He would be much more interested in the _money_ of the world. No, he was being controlled or bribed somehow - this couldn't be his own plot.

The Hidein whimpered. Gahiji slowly took his hand from the Hidein's throat, and the man took in shuddering breaths. He glared up at Gahiji, fear in his eyes as he rubbed his throat with a bloody hand.

There was also hate in his eyes - a look Gahiji had come to both expect and dismiss.

He had a pretty good idea of what they were up against now. He could press farther, but the Hidein wouldn't talk, he knew. Perhaps he was forbidden to; but it was more than likely he just didn't know.

"What's your name?" Gahiji said.

"What's your name?" the Hidein responded, in the same tone.

"Gahiji Vorobey Julien," Gahiji said immediately.

Gahiji cursed. He knocked the Hidein out with a swift punch, then stood, backing away. The other conscious guard was looking at him, eyes wide with fright - and awe.

Poisonously, he reflected, _I should have seen that one coming. When was the last time I fell for that? _The man had used Hidoi to influence Gahiji's answer.

Gahiji cast his eyes over the other man, who stared back. The man seemed stunned at hearing Gahiji's name, caving in on himself. He was the only guard conscious.

Gahiji was, grudgingly, not surprised.

Azamat's voice sounded from his wrist communicator. "It's likely that no one is going to come back for them," Azamat said quietly.

Gahiji grunted.

"What do we do, in cases like this?" Azamat said. "I mean, they're still people. We can't just leave them here, Gahiji, not in the shape that they're in, and they might still have some information -"

"We aren't taking them to Down," Gahiji said flatly. Azamat stuttered.

"N-not even as hostages?"

"_No_."

"Okay, okay, sheesh... but what do we do with them? We can't just -" Azamat inhaled. "You wouldn't -!"

"I'm not going to kill them, idiot," Gahiji snapped. "However much they might deserve it." He looked down at the Hidein, pondering.

The Hidein was drawing something in the snow.

Gahiji narrowed his eyes, then clarity bloomed in his mind; the man chuckled darkly and put his finger on the Hidoi symbol.

Azamat saw it, too. "Gahiji -!" he blurted.

Nonchalantly, Gahiji kicked snow into the Hidein's face. The man fell backwards, spluttering, and Gahiji swept his foot over the symbol.

Azamat let out a breath.

_Aha. I know what to do with them. _

"_Zashchishchat'_," Gahiji said softly.

The Hidein gasped and backed up from Gahiji as a Shauto Shield burst out of thin air over the top of him. The Shield, matching the consistency of Gahiji's own, enveloped all three of them, blazing with a sudden radiance that made the Hidein cover his eyes.

"What the -?" he choked, stunned and frightened.

"Ah," Azamat said, sounding impressed. "The Shield will both protect them from outside forces and prevent the use of Hidoi. Smart. How long are you leaving it up?"

The second man glared up at Gahiji, still breathing heavily, frustrated. Gahiji again dismissed the venomous look.

"Six hours," Gahiji said. He looked at the Hidein that had been drawing in the snow in the eye. "You have six hours to get out of this forest. You had better pull yourself together."

The man only grinned.

"That's real merciful, Julien," the Hidein sneered. "I didn't know you were capable of such a thing as _mercy_."

There was a stunned silence.

"So this is what's become of-"

Gahiji kicked him. His Shauto Shield flickered as Gahiji breached it, and the man was sent sprawling over the top of his companions with a shout, his hands flying to his stomach, where Gahiji's foot had landed. Azamat choked in surprise.

Gahiji then turned and silently stalked back through the snow to Amilia.

There was another buzz near the side of his head, and Gahiji pushed Azamat's representation away. "Get out of my face."

"You didn't have to hurt him like that," Azamat said quietly. His tone was surprisingly angry as he addressed the Amidian.

"On the contrary," Gahiji said through gritted teeth.

That earned him silence from the teen. For once. Pity he was so annoyed, else Gahiji might have properly enjoyed it. At least now he could think about the situation.

Gahiji should have suspected that it was Hokori. He should have known that it was a possibility, especially since Hokori was the most successful Hidein thug in the NinjaGo.

But that was a whole other concern. Hokori was one of the most powerful criminals in the underworld. The thought that there was someone using him was not just unlikely, but ludicrous. Hokori wasn't one to take orders. Who could possibly have him under their thumb?

But even if he knew the answer to this, it wouldn't explain why they were waiting here for someone to take this patrol, in this remote spot in the Birchwood forest. Why here? Why now?

Gahiji was startled out of his thoughts by a sudden intake of breath. He glanced backwards at the Hidein, but all three of them were now on the ground.

"Gahiji, there's someone else there!" Azamat said.

"What?" Gahiji whipped around. "I don't see anybody. Clarify."

There was a pause. Gahiji cast his eyes over the sheer whiteness of his surroundings, looking for whoever Azamat was talking about - he reached for a dagger concealed in his belt.

"... Oh Overlord..." Azamat whispered.

Gahiji gritted his teeth, looking around again. "Azamat, talk to me. Where are they?"

"Oh, First Spinjitzu Master, oh, Overlord," Azamat said, his voice starting to shake. "Oh, oh, oh."

"_Azamat_!" Gahiji said, then saw him.

White lab coat, white hair, running through the white snow towards them. He waved a hand to the Amidian. "Hey!" the old man called. "I'm coming!"

Gahiji froze.

Dr. Nikolai Julien skidded to a stop in front of Gahiji, panting, clutching his chest.

"Hey," he said, urgently. His eyes went to Gahiji's hair and skin. He switched languages. "Young man," he said, in Amidian. "I saw everything - you're standing up!" He looked astonished. "Are you quite alright? I saw someone throw a dagger at you!"

"Oh _Overlord_," Azamat said again, breathless.

It was without a doubt Gahiji's uncle. He wore the same glasses he had all those years ago, and though his features were withered with age, Gahiji could make out the flat curve of his face, the soft, deep-set eyes, and the brow heavy with thoughts, as Nikolai Julien's face.

"Young man?" Nikolai said again.

_He doesn't recognize me, _Gahiji thought. There was no time to explain, even if Gahiji could find the words to do so.

Gahiji suddenly felt... vulnerable.

"You got stabbed in the back," Nikolai said. He circled the Amidian, then saw the rip in Gahiji's cloak where the shuriken had sliced through it. He reached out to touch it when Gahiji jumped away.

"Don't touch me," he said harshly. Nikolai took a step backwards.

"Young man -"

"Shut it."

"But I saw -"

Gahiji leaned forward, his tone sharp. "_Listen_, Dr. Julien."

Nikolai flinched away from him, taken aback.

"Look. We need your help. The Whisperers are getting more and more aggressive, and we need your knowledge. There's a lot that needs to be explained, to you and to us, so you need to come with me -"

"Whisperers?" Nikolai cut in. He spoke in a serious tone as he stepped farther from his unrecognized nephew. "I don't know who you are, or how you know about Whisperers," he said quietly, "but I'm not going with you."

Gahiji opened his mouth to respond, then closed it, giving Nikolai a frustrated glare.

A sudden sharp sound made them both jump. Azamat's voice blurted through the wrist communicator. "Amilia!"

Gahiji and Nikolai both looked behind them at Amilia, who was only a few feet from them. She was writhing in the snow, choking and making strangled, watery groans and grunts.

Gahiji's heart lurched. "Oh, no," he said.

He and Nikolai ran to her, getting down on their hands and knees, snow flying in their wake. Amilia choked, rolling over on the ground. Gahiji pushed her over onto her side.

"Oh, come _on_, Amilia," Gahiji muttered. _Out of all the times... _

"She's having a seizure," Nikolai said. "Does she have a history of them?"

"No."

Nikolai hesitated. "If you know about Whisperers," he said softly, "then you know about Shauto?"

Gahiji nodded.

Nikolai relaxed. He reached into the breast pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a vial of green liquid. Peppermint extract. Gahiji watched silently as he tipped the vial out onto his hands, rubbing them together, and then running his liquid-slathered hands over Amilia's neck and up onto her cheeks.

"_Uspokoit' etogo rebenka,_" Nikolai said softly. _Soothe this child_, in Amid.

The peppermint goop started to glow green, making Amilia look almost alien. Gahiji watched silently. This was a Shauto ritual Gahiji hadn't heard performed before, nor knew existed.

What was more, Nikolai hadn't drawn a symbol with the peppermint.

Amilia's writhing decreased significantly. She turned over onto her back again and coughed, moaning. The peppermint liquid evaporated.

"She's calm." Azamat's voice emitted from the wrist communicator. "I don't believe it... This is definitely your uncle, Gahiji."

The peppermint extract on Nikolai's hands had evaporated, too. He put a gentle hand on Amilia's arm as her breathing slowed down.

"She's asleep," Nikolai said.

Gahiji let out a silent breath of relief.

Nikolai then turned to Gahiji, his countenance serious. "I don't know who you are," he said, picking up where the conversation had left off. "Why should I come with you?"

Gahiji pursed his lips. Then he said, "London needs you."

Nikolai's features shifted from one expression to another like clockwork. "London... London _Brookstone_?"

Gahiji gave a small nod.

The old man was shaking. "London," he murmured. "She's... she's still fighting. Why does that surprise me?" He closed his eyes, bringing his trembling hand to his forehead.

"The world is at risk, Nikolai. We need your knowledge."

"You're working with her?" Nikolai said, looking from the unconscious Amilia to Gahiji. Gahiji nodded. "And how do I know you're telling the truth?"

Gahiji didn't answer, too frustrated to speak. Then he pulled out the teleportation coin from his cloak. Nikolai's eyes widened.

"London's teleportation coin," he breathed. "Either you're telling the truth or you've managed to break into Down."

"Believe me," Gahiji growled. "I'm telling the truth."

Nikolai's brow twitched, but Gahiji didn't apologize.

"Come with me," he said quietly. "I'll take you to Down and we can explain ourselves. And if you need a more compelling reason..."

He flipped the teleportation coin and caught it. It began to glow orange.

"Your son is there."

The confusion and panic hit Dr. Julien fast. "Zane?" he said, his voice shaking. "You - you have my son?"

Gahiji held the coin out in an open palm. "Come with me," he said.

Nikolai swallowed. Then he hesitantly placed a withered finger on the coin.

Gahiji slipped his hand into Amilia's and murmured to the coin, "Down."

There was a rush of Shauto, and the air around them changed. Orange light pricked Gahiji's eyes.

A million things were running through Gahiji's head. _The Five will be thrilled to see Dr. Julien again - December and London especially. We'll gain more, maybe new, information about Shauto and Whisperers, not to mention another Shautei. He can explain himself, and where he's been all these years. And Nikolai... _

Gahiji's grip on Amilia's hand tightened.

_He'll ask where _I've_ been._

Then Nikolai reached out and touched the Amidian's jaw, earning him a startled jump from his nephew. His uncle's fingers traced the dark skin by Gahiji's ear, then slid backwards into his hair.

Their eyes met head-on for the first time. Gahiji shivered, and Nikolai paused.

"Dobryak," Dr. Julien whispered.

Gahiji swallowed. _Do I really look that much like my father?_

Then he realized, in the strangely surreal moment before they teleported, that Nikolai was crying. Tears slid from his blue eyes down his high cheekbones, and his old face split into a wide, delighted smile.

_He couldn't - _Gahiji swallowed. _He couldn't possibly recognize me._

"Gahiji?" Nikolai breathed.

They teleported.

* * *

Scrap and Junk

1:29 AM

* * *

Misako couldn't sleep.

Eboni had taken the Destiny's Bounty, severed Nya's connection to the ship, and totalled the Samurai Z.

The further things progressed, the more Misako suspected that they were finally out of their league. With the Ninja, they might have stood a chance, but here, with as few numbers as they were, facing an organization controlling immortal ghosts and using Hidoi, bent on destroying the world - the chances of success were growing slimmer and slimmer.

She rolled over in Ed and Edna's bed, facing the wall.

Where could the Ninja be?

What could she even _do_? None of them knew Shauto except Ed and Edna, so they couldn't fight the Whisperers. They were grossly unprepared to fight Eboni or even find her.

And she could be the only one to get knocked out by the stun grenade, of course.

Years ago, Misako considered herself to be just as capable of a martial artist as Wu or her husband, but now she found herself weaker. She was dismayed at the changes in her physical abilities.

Truth be told, they were all getting old; she, Wu, Garmadon, Ed, Edna. But Misako felt she should at least be able to keep herself awake. She should be of more use than this. She she should be able to figure out some way to find the Ninja. Or to know something about inventing, to help Ed finish the wrist communicator.

But all she could do was watch and wait while things crashed down around them.

How useless could she get?

"Are you still awake?"

Misako looked over her shoulder at Garmadon, who was looking back at her, eyes heavy.

"I can't sleep," she admitted.

Garmadon shifted restlessly beneath the covers. "What are you thinking about?" he said softly.

"Oh. Nothing really."

"Liar. You usually sleep like a rock, even somewhere other than home." Garmadon's voice sounded tired, and he closed his eyes. Misako couldn't see his expression in the dark.

She sighed. Her self-pity was childish, and she knew it. So she voiced a different concern, one that wouldn't make her husband worried. "This is hopeless."

Garmadon opened his eyes again. "What?"

"All of this. This whole situation. You were right. It's hopeless."

"Aw, come on," Garmadon said. "You should know by now, I'm never right."

Misako chuckled.

"I mean... really. I'm just a pessimist. If there's a problem, I point it out and make a big deal out of it... which I recognize." He sighed. "I'm working on it."

"I know, Gom."

Garmadon paused, seeing that she did. His countenance softened. "Don't worry, Misako," he said. He reached beneath the blankets to take her hand, which rested near her head. He smiled a little bit. "We're going to figure a way out of this, no matter how pessimistic I am. Right?"

Misako nodded with a sigh. "You're never right, Gom."

"Heh... I deserved that." Garmadon's thumb rubbed her hand. "But I'm serious. No matter what, we're getting through it."

"Of course." Misako's lips twitched a little bit, and he smiled back.

Then he added, sarcastically, "I mean, we're only attempting to fight a bunch of dark wizards and immortal Elemental ghosts."

"That's not funny, Gom."

"Right... sorry."

Misako closed her eyes. _Elemental Ghosts. Right._ Whisperers could use every element you could think of with ease. Another thing to add to their invincibility.

She rolled over again. Something in her pocket prodded her thigh, and she gave an involuntary hiss.

She dug out the vial and held it up to her face to look at it, slightly surprised at what she saw. Her Vengestone powder.

Misako gave a long sigh. Why was she still holding onto this? Vengestone could hardly help them defend themselves from, as Garmadon put it, immortal Elemental Ghosts.

She paused.

_... Elemental_ ghosts?

She pulled the stopper off and dipped her finger in the powder. It felt like chalk; when she brought her finger back and examined the dust on her fingertip, it glistened with small, floury black crystals.

Vengestone was an alien material that didn't belong to NinjaGo at all. It had been deposited in Yuj when an asteroid hit NinjaGo. It halted the Ninja's powers, causing a burning pain to fill their being; this because of the fact that they _were_ Elemental Masters. Everything about Vengestone went against NinjaGo's elemental system, therefore cancelled out all of the Ninja's powers.

If Vengestone harmed the Ninja, the same should be true for Whisperers, as they _did_ control elements.

Misako sat up in bed, making Garmadon jump. How had she not seen this before?

"Misako?" Garmadon said, propping himself up on his elbow. "What is it?"

She turned to look at him. Then she grinned.

"I just figured out how to help."


	24. Doubt

Doubt

* * *

Down, doorway of the PTR

8:23 AM

* * *

Cole peered into the Physical Training Room. His eyes scanned the empty courses, mudpit, and Shauto Training area beyond that. Jay and Zane appeared beside him.

"Kai's not here," Cole said. He frowned.

"_No_ _one's_ here. I thought Lloyd came to switch Kai out?" Jay said, bringing his head out of the doorway to exchange confused looks with the the Masters of Ice and Earth.

"He did," Zane said. "And yet, neither of them are here."

Jay shook his head. "Don't worry. They're just in the cafeteria or something. We should probably get back to our homework."

While they waited for their turn for the PTR, London had given them sheets with Shatuo figures and explanations for each of them. Homework. Cole suspected that she didn't know what to do with he and the others, as all the Five were either patrolling or monitoring patrols.

There were only five Five, and patrols couldn't be ignored; that pretty much meant the Ninja had to stick with the PTR training until London got back, and that they were relegated to complete paperwork while they waited.

"We should not assume that he's all right," Zane said finally. "It pains me to say it, but our friend is unstable. We need to find him and make sure he and Lloyd are both safe."

Cole nodded. "You're right. Let's try the cafeteria then."

"I've already forgotten where it is," Jay said.

"It's right across from the Takigyo Garden," Zane said. Somehow, Jay was not enlightened, because he still looked confused.

Cole rolled his eyes and walked across the hallway to stand in front of the doorway of the cafeteria, which was about three yards from the PTR. "It's right here, Jay," he said.

Jay laughed as he and Zane came to stand in the cafeteria. "Ha, ha. I knew that," he started to say, then cut himself off. The cafeteria was empty.

Cole scratched his head. "It's not like there's many places where they could go," he said. "At least, we don't know our way around Down well enough for there to be many places."

"Do you think there is going to be a day we know Down inside out?" Jay said sarcastically.

Cole was caught off guard by his statement. There might well could be a day that they would know Down inside and out. That all depended on how long they were staying; how long they'd be needed.

_It's been three days since that Whisperer ambushed us coming home from the movies, _he realized. _And we're not going back to the Bounty anytime soon. We really need to get a hold of Sensei. I'd feel better if he was here. He's got to be worried sick about us... _

_But Nya's not answering her cell phone. Sensei won't pick up the Bounty's line. How are we supposed to contact them?_

"I am beginning to get worried," Zane said. "Neither of them were in any of the rooms we were assigned to. They were not in the Physical Training Room, the Mental Training Room, or the garage, either. Where could they be?"

"I don't like this," Cole murmured, and turned from the vacant cafeteria, just as the door across from the cafeteria swung open.

December and Lloyd supported a dripping wet, shuddering Kai between them as they exited the Takigyo Garden. Cole and the others tailed them, alarmed, as they helped the Master of Fire down the hallway.

"H-hey!" Jay said, running to catch up with them. He put a hand on Kai's bare back, and walked around the group so that he stood next to Lloyd. "Greenbean, what's going on?" he said as Cole and Zane came up behind them.

Lloyd glanced at him. "Kai just got out of the waterfall," he said. "He's not doing too good."

"What do you mean? What happened?" Cole demanded. He leaned forward to try to see Kai's face over December's shoulders, but the Red Ninja's long hair shielded it from him.

December spoke. "He almost unlocked Shauto," she said, sounding rushed. "But he didn't quite get it. He had a fit; in a minute the Whisperer's Spell is going to kick in again, so we have to get him in bed before that happens."

Zane put his hand on Kai's back, next to Jay's, speaking softly in Kai's ear. Cole could only trail behind the group, attempting to quell his worry.

The group came to a sudden halt at the Control Room when the door opened on them. Cole stood at the back, and couldn't see over the heads of his teammates, so didn't know what had happened until Zane looked back at him. Zane's eyes were wide and his his mouth open in confusion, only deepening Cole's own bewilderment.

December darted from Kai's side, replaced by Zane, and into the Control Room. The others stared after her in horror, while Cole just watched, absolutely clueless.

"What happened?" he said, coming to stand next to Zane.

"Gahiji - or Azamat - or Amilia -?" Zane seemed to be having trouble answering him. He finally just shook his head. "I don't know, but I think that Gahiji and Amilia have returned, and something's wrong."

"Guys, we have to get Kai to his room," Lloyd said, voice hushed, as if afraid of being heard. "He's going to freak out any second now."

Cole looked from the Control Room, where he glimpsed the back of December's head, a white coat, and Azamat's earrings, then back to Lloyd. "Right," he said briskly. "December has it under control. Let's hurry."

They walked past the Control Room and towards room eight. Cole didn't want to think about what could have happened. All he knew was that he had to get his teammate in a calm environment before his condition got out of hand.

Now that Cole was at the front of the group, he could see Kai's face; his bleached, glazed expression did not encourage the Master of Earth.

"Come on, guys," Cole said, as they reached the door. "Get in your heads. What do you do to treat a victim of shock? How do you calm them down? We're going to need that information in a second, so hold onto it."

He opened the door to allow his friends to hobble in, when Kai spoke.

"What happened?" he whispered.

They turned to Cole, who looked meaningfully at Lloyd. Lloyd's grip on Kai's back tightened.

"You just got out of the Takigyo Garden," he said. "Don't worry, you're just a little sick. You can lie down in a second."

Kai looked at him, then said, "No. What happened back there? Why did December go?"

"I-it's okay," Lloyd stammered. "She's just - she's taking care of something, it's fine. You just need to -"

Kai turned around, staring past Cole to the door of the Control Room. "Someone's yelling," he said, listening to the shouts emitting from the room down the hallway.

_This isn't good, _Cole thought.

"Hey, Kai, buddy," Jay said. "Just come on. You're sopping wet, let's get you something dry to wear and then to bed - whad'ya say?"

Kai shook his head. Lloyd and Jay pulled insistently on his arms to move him into the bedroom, but he stood frozen. "They're in trouble," he said, still gazing at the Control Room.

He was right. The shouts were ones of distress.

"It's okay, they're fine," Lloyd said, desperately trying to catch Kai's attention. "They're fine -"

Kai finally jerked himself from his friends' grasp. Jay and Lloyd stepped back, stunned.

"_I'm_ fine!" Kai snapped. He suddenly looked angry. "Quit treating me like I'm useless!" Then he exhaled shortly, before looking to Cole. "I'm in control, I promise," he said.

Cole looked him over. He was still wet; he didn't quite look like Kai with his hair flat against his head, but his eyes were serious. His fists were clenched.

"What are you staring at?" Kai exclaimed, face flushing. He pursed his lips. "The Five are in trouble. Isn't that why we're here? To help them?... Don't you people freaking trust me?!"

Cole opened his mouth, but Kai cut him off. "No," he growled. "Don't defend yourself. Don't think I haven't seen how you look at me now. How you all look at me. I've had this spell on me for two days and I'm already sick of your pity!"

"I -" Cole started.

Someone cried out, and there was a shuffling impact of feet on the hard floor. The Ninja whirled around in time to see Azamat stumble from the Control Room, followed closely by December, who slammed the door shut.

Azamat regained his balance and bolted back to the door, which December blocked. "Let me back in!" he yelled at her. There was desperation in his voice. "That's my sister, December! Let me in there!"

"No," December said firmly.

Azamat clenched his fists. "December -!" he tried.

Cole felt someone shove past him - his heart lurched when he saw Kai step forward. "What happened?" Kai said.

_This isn't safe, _Cole thought. _Kai can't get involved, or else he's going to snap!_

December opened her mouth to reply, when Azamat said hoarsely, "Something's wrong with my sister, and Gahiji's not telling me what!"

"What?" Zane, Lloyd, and Jay now stood beside Kai and Cole.

Azamat's face was stark white and his eyebrows knit tightly together in despair and frustration.

"What's wrong with her?" Cole said to December as the Ninja came towards them.

She answered slowly. "Gahiji and Amilia encountered Hidein, and one of them did something to Amilia. She's... not well."

"Not well?" Azamat repeated. "She's having a grand mal seizure and coughing blood! You call that -?" His voice cracked, and he shut his mouth.

"We need to help her," Kai said.

Everyone looked to him, seeing his pale features harden.

"We need to help her," he repeated. "She'll die."

The words flew from his lips into the air. As they did, the little color left in Azamat's face drained.

"Azamat," December said. She leaned forward to place her hands on his shoulders - the boy was shaking uncontrollably. Azamat shrugged her off.

December came forward so that she could squeeze his arm. "Amilia is not going to die," she said.

"How do you -?" Azamat started, then froze. Kai bolted toward the now unguarded door to the Control Room.

"Kai!" Cole said, and they all jumped at him, but the door was open and shut too fast for them to grab his hand as Kai disappeared into the Control Room.

* * *

Destiny's Bounty

8:15 AM

* * *

Eboni let Hokori lean on him, but her father's grip on her arm was shaky. "Daddy, are you alright?" she said frantically. "Daddy?"

"I'm fine," Hokori murmured. Then he proceeded to slip from her hold, falling onto the railing of the Ninja's ship, the _Destiny's Bounty._ Hokori slid down the railing, coming to rest at the bottom of it; he let his head hit the wall, coughing.

"Daddy!" Eboni exclaimed, crouching down beside him. "Daddy, what is it? Are you hurt?"

Hokori's voice rasped and grated in Eboni's ears. "Eboni, my dear girl." He managed a weak smile.

Eboni exhaled silently. She clutched her father's hand desperately. "Don't speak, Daddy. You are ill. We must get you to the factory."

Hokori's chest rose and fell steadily, but bile and blood still dripped from his lips down his chin. He looked a mess; his skin sickly bleached, his brown eyes glazed over with pain and eyebrows pinched tightly together as he smiled at her.

"I'll be fine," he said, his weak voice surprisingly firm. "I promise. The symptoms will be gone within the hour... Take me to the Master. I want to tell him that the deed is done."

Eboni shook her head. She pulled her sleeve over her hand and wiped the red vomit from his chin. _The symptoms. Oh, Daddy. I wish you would tell me what you did and why you are in such pain. _

Eboni looked over the railing. Beneath them was the vast white expanse of the Birchwood forest, which had to be a mile below the _Bounty_. The white of the snow was blurred by the millions of trees, overlapping and making the pure white gray.

And there were five black specks in between them.

Two of them were Shautei. Eboni was sure that at least one of them was dead.

The guards, though...

They weren't going back for them. There was no point in doing so. Not with the ranks of Hidein soldiers that her father Hokori had - there were at least forty replacements for those advanced guards.

She looked back at the deck, to the mess she had made. Pieces of metal, still sparking wires, and a large, misshapen hunk of dull steel. Dark mechanical eyes stared at her blankly. The mess - what was left of the Samurai's mech - would need to be inspected.

Honestly. The Samurai's toys didn't stand a chance against the Hidein army.

Eboni leaned down to scoop Hokori into her arms, but he squirmed.

"I can walk," he breathed. "Just - just help me up."

So she clasped his sweaty hand and pulled him to his feet, holding onto his arms to steady him as his legs buckled. Hokori put his hand to his head and moaned.

"Come on, Daddy." Eboni helped him walk to the Bridge. Her mind reeled with worry. _If he's so weak that he can't even support himself... _She didn't dare finish the thought, but her grip on her father's wrists tightened.

They reached the Bridge. "Did you -?" Hokori broke off coughing. "Did you complete your task?"

"Yes, Daddy." _My task. The one that's keeping me from death. _"He's beneath the deck."

"Awake?"

"No, Daddy."

Hokori frowned. Eboni made him sit down on the table in the middle of the Bridge, undoing the latch keeping his cloak on his shoulders and letting it slide to the table. "I had hoped that he would be," he said. Then he groaned. "I can't dematerialize myself anymore. How long will it take to fly back to the compound?"

"I don't know," Eboni said. "This ship can't take too much stress. I did kind of wreck the engine. I've fixed it, but I don't know when it will give."

Hokori sighed. "How long?" he repeated.

Eboni continued wiping the blood from his face. His skin felt clammy under her fingers. "An hour, maybe two. Depends on if there's any snowstorms. We _are_ on the cusp of winter, for Northern NinjaGo, at any rate. Please lie down, Daddy."

Hokori complied reluctantly, and Eboni threw his cloak over him like a blanket.

"I must say," Hokori mumbled, "I am really not accustomed to hands-on missions."

Eboni cracked a smile. "I'll set our course for the compound," she said. "Try to rest, Daddy."

Hokori only mumbled again.

Eboni left his side and walked to the dashboard. She pressed a button on the small red device latched onto the USB port. This jump drive was the crown of her hacking tools. It would physically attach itself to the computer when two hooks jettisoned from the inner mechanics of the drive and penetrated the computer's outer shell. It would override nearly any system.

The jump drive thought for a moment. Then the screen flickered. Eboni pressed a few keys to keep the system from failing, and the screen presented her with flight controls and a coordinate graph.

It didn't take her long to figure out what to do. She entered the coordinates of the compound and set the course.

The _Destiny's Bounty_ creaked and sputtered as the engine nearly gave, but managed to turn itself around. Eboni shut her eyes tight and cursed, smiling wryly. _If only I hadn't have done such a thorough job of sabotaging it, _she thought.

She looked back at her father, who looked on edge at the _Bounty's _system flicker, propped up on his elbows. When he saw that Eboni looked at ease, he relaxed.

Eboni breathed out slowly. Looking at Hokori now... against her will, suspicion now surrounded the thought of her father.

Of course, it had been this way for years. Something had always seemed off about him. Something had always _been_ off about him, since that accident all those years ago.

Just small things. The way he shied from her when she embraced him. The hard look in his eyes. The way his tone angled when he spoke to her.

She loved him. She was her father.

But the thought was there. The suspicion that he...

Eboni shook herself.

She loved him. She really did. And he loved her, too, but since that accident, his way of showing it had changed. No longer greeted with a kiss, but a smile. No longer hugged tightly, but loosely, hesitantly.

And it... well, it stung.

"Eboni, darling," Hokori said.

Eboni whirled to look at him. "Yes Daddy?"

Hokori's brown eyes searched hers from his position on the table. He didn't speak for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"Would you be a dear and get me a glass of water?" he said.

Eboni nodded. "Of course," she said.

"Thank you."

She went past the table to the door, glancing at him as she went. His head fell back onto the table with a soft thud and he closed his eyes.

She bit her lip as she left the room. Breathed out slowly.

Eboni loved her father. But at the back of her mind, always, there was the nagging suspicion. The quiet thought. The unanswered, hesitantly asked question, one that she tried to push away every time it surfaced from her conscious.

... did _he_ really love _her_?

* * *

Kai slammed the door shut and leaned against it. Deftly, he twisted the lock and stepped away from the door, raising his eyes to the scene before him.

His heart leaped into his throat. It took a few swallows for him to force it back down.

London was back; someone must have called for her. She, Gahiji, and someone in a white coat were huddled on the floor around a shuddering form. Their bodies concealed Amilia, but Kai heard her coughing. There was blood on the floor.

Hadn't Azamat said a seizure? Then why was there blood?

London stood up. "Kai? What are you doing in here?" she demanded.

Someone twisted the doorknob and pushed against the door. "Kai!" came Cole's voice.

Kai glanced down at the doorknob. It rattled with every jarring slam Cole made against it. Kai elbowed it, and the force of his push stuck into the metal of the doorway so that it jammed.

He looked up and met London's gaze. "I'm here to help," he said evenly.

London opened her mouth, but the man in the white coat spoke before she could.

"Get a bowl," he said. "A bowl and a towel. London, keep her steady."

London reluctantly dropped to the floor again.

Kai blinked once before glancing around for something that resembled either item the man had called for. Luckily, someone had taken their breakfast cereal into the Control Room, and their empty bowl sat on the dashboard beneath the big screen. Kai ran past the group on the floor and to the dashboard to grab the bowl.

_A_ _towel_. He leaned down, took the edge of his pant leg in between his thumb and the side of his forefinger, and tore; the denim ripped like paper, turning his bootcuts into knee-lengths.

He turned around. Once again, his heart was in his throat, but this time his mouth was too dry to swallow.

Amilia lay on her side, shaking like she was being repeatedly electrocuted, making strange choking sounds. Her shirt was badly torn, but what was left of it and her bare chest were coated with sticky blood. The man in the coat was slathering green liquid - peppermint extract, Kai realized - over her skin, and muttering things in Amid.

Kai felt sick at first, then afraid. But he collected himself quickly.

_I'm not letting the Whisperer's spell win._

He crouched down beside the man, and set the bowl and the towel down on the floor next to him. "Here's this," he said.

The man glanced at him, then ran his arm across his eyes and took the towel. "Hold the bowl to her mouth," he instructed. "Catch the blood."

Kai realized two things as he obeyed. One, the man was crying. Tears streamed from his blue eyes.

Two, he knew him.

"Dr. Julien?" Kai breathed.

Dr. Julien smiled weakly, then used the towel to mop the blood off of Amilia's chest. "Just hold it there," he said, tipping the bowl in Kai's grip closer to Amilia.

Kai stared at him, shocked by this discovery, then gasped when Amilia vomited into the cereal bowl. His eyes went wide as he watched the blood and bile spew from her mouth into the small bowl; it splashed over the sides and stained Kai's hands red.

Kai clapped his other hand to his mouth when something more than his heart tried to force itself up. Part of him wanted to looked away, or close his eyes; he forced himself to watch, though.

When her convulsing ended - it had only taken ten seconds, and the bowl was barely half full of red vomit - Dr. Julien smeared more peppermint onto her now clean chest, simultaneously massaging the base of her neck. "There we go," he said, softly; almost fatherly. "There's that. You're gonna be okay, Amilia."

Fear made Kai's heart pound, and his throat was still clogged with bile; he swallowed multiple times, ignoring the pain of his dry tongue scratching the roof of his mouth with each gulp. The spell was taking over.

_She's going to die, _he thought. _She's going to die. Look at all the blood she's lost. There's no way she's going to survive this._

He bit his tongue, and tears went to his eyes. He blinked them away quickly. _She won't die, _he forced himself to think. _She's fine. Dr. Julien's here; she's not going to die._

A hand on his upper back. Kai turned quickly, and found that Gahiji had knelt down beside him. Kai was surprised that the Amidian was coming to comfort him, and was about to say so, when he saw the scowl on Gahiji's face, and clamped his mouth shut.

The Amidian handed Nikolai another vial of peppermint extract without breaking eye contact with Kai.

"Don't freak out," he said fiercely.

Gahiji's hand left his back and his eyes left Kai's, leaving the Master of Fire dizzy with fright. But Kai held it together, not wanting to find out what would happen if he didn't.

Nikolai pressed both his hands down on Amilia's heaving chest and took a breath. Then he whispered something in Amid; a sudden rush of wind caught Kai off guard, blowing his hair from his face. The peppermint extract glowed green.

Shauto.

Amilia's breathing slowed, and her seizure ended with her rolling over onto her back.

Kai took the bowl from her lips and set it on the red floor beside her. He wiped his bloody hands on his now ruined, soggy jeans with a shaky exhale.

"Was that it?" he said hoarsely.

Nikolai nodded.

In the silence that followed, he ran his sleeve across his eyes again, as his hands were filthy with Amilia's blood. Kai watched his tense shoulders start to convulse; tears streaked down his face despite his efforts to dry them.

Gahiji reluctantly stood, moving from Amilia's side to the old man's. "Uncle," he said quietly, touching the top of Dr. Julien's head with a tattooed hand.

"Gahiji," Nikolai said. He turned and hugged Gahiji's legs, putting his head between Gahiji's knees and sobbing. The old man was so overjoyed he couldn't even find the strength to stand. "Oh, Gahiji, my sweet boy..."

Gahiji stumbled, then put his arms around Nikolai's neck to steady himself. "Uncle Nik," he said. Kai glanced up at Gahiji, whose eyes met his briefly before he clenched his jaw and looked away.

London unwound her scarf and folded it up, sliding it beneath Amilia's head as a pillow, then threw her cloak over top her. She swept Amilia's hair back from her face gently, her hand lingering on the girl's cheek, then said, "Let them in. Amilia is as well as she's going to be for a while."

Kai nodded. London stood and helped Gahiji pry Nikolai from the Amidian. Once Nikolai was on his feet, he simply embraced Gahiji again.

Kai shut his eyes and composed himself, trying to find the will to stand. But watching Dr. Julien cry, sobbing and clinging to Gahiji like he never wanted to let go… it made Kai want to do the same, to kneel down and cry then and there.

But he didn't. Couldn't. Kai's desire shifted from wanting to cry to wanting to punch something.

"London," Gahiji said suddenly, his voice constricted. He couldn't move, with Nikolai holding him desperately, so he repeated himself. "London - _Amilia_." Gahiji looked meaningfully at the girl beside Kai, and the Master of Fire turned.

Amilia was having another seizure. London left Gahiji and Nikolai's side, dropping to the floor beside Kai.

Kai just about lost it then and there. _What? But she just got done with one! _he thought.

Amilia choked. Kai felt panic bubble up inside him, the Whisperer's spell depriving him of his first aid instincts; not to mention oxygen. His mind went blank while Amilia's choking became more insistent.

"Kai," London said. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Keep yourself together, Kai, she's suffocating!"

Something seized Kai, and he found his thoughts suddenly crystal clear. _She's suffocating_, he thought._ She's choking on her tongue. You have to clear her airway. _

He grabbed Amilia's jaw with one hand and stuck the other into her mouth, making London retract her hand from his shoulder in surprise.

He didn't have long to find her tongue. His fingers closed around something slimy, and he yanked it forward, just as her gag reflex kicked in, and she bit him.

Kai jerked his hand out of her mouth with a hiss and a gasp, then he shoved her onto her side, where she threw up again.

"Quick thinking," London said breathlessly. "You did well, Kai," she said softly, putting her hand on the back of his neck. Kai wondered why she said that until he realized that his fists were clenched, and he was breathing fast.

When Amilia finished vomiting, she moaned. She shivered, then hugged herself, her hacking and coughs laden with red liquid. Kai managed to squeeze her arm; to sympathize with her, or to reassure himself, he didn't know.

She opened her eyes a slit. Kai was surprised to see that she had regained consciousness. "You okay?" he asked.

Amilia just closed her eyes and slipped back under.

Kai wiped cold sweat from his forehead and stood, London holding his elbow for support. "What just happened?" he said quietly.

London glanced to Nikolai, who was still having his back patted resignedly by his nephew, then said, "I don't know. Gahiji said that one of the Hidein bit her, and she's been spasming since she fell unconscious."

"One of the Hidein _bit_ her? Where?"

"The neck. Nikolai healed her, else we'd know for sure." From the tone of London's voice, she was as skeptical as Kai was.

"Was the Hidein a vampire?"

It popped out before Kai could stop it. He clapped his hand to his mouth, tasted Amilia's blood on his fingers, and immediately put his sleeve on his tongue to mask the putrid taste.

London blinked at him. Then she said softly, "You shouldn't have helped with Amilia. The spell is going to take over."

"It is not!" Kai snapped as his sleeve left his lips. Then he clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. "Y-you're right," he said with a groan. "I should have stayed outside... But I couldn't..." He trailed off, then said, "I just lost it. I couldn't sit by and wait."

London nodded slowly. "I know," she said.

_That's just half of it, _Kai thought. _I saw Azamat's face. I know what it feels like to have a sister in a desperate situation... and I couldn't watch him sit through that. _

"Let's get you to your room," London said. "You need rest and peace."

Kai turned to Gahiji and Nikolai. Dr. Julien's head was buried in Gahiji's chest, and the old man was convulsing with sobs. Gahiji looked annoyed.

"What happened?" Kai said quietly, as London took his hand to lead him out.

"Gahiji brought Nik back with him. For some reason, they found him in the Birchwood Forest just after they escaped the Hidein; lucky for us."

Kai shook his head. "No," he said, finding himself surprisingly patient. "What happened? Why is Dr. Julien so - so -?"

London's expression melted. She sighed.

"Gahiji... He ran away from home eight years ago, before the Five you see now had formed... Actually, I guess you could say that December and the twins came to be part of the Five _because_ he ran away. We all assumed that Gahiji had been enslaved, or killed, until we... found him, three years before now."

When the look Kai gave her was one of bewilderment and fright, she explained, "Amid are treated by many people as... less than human. It's not a crime to kill an Amidian, unless they've been registered as citizens in NinjaGo City; but even then, it's not as serious a crime as killing a Ninjagian."

Kai stared at her. "That's - that's -"

"Sick? Unfair?" London said. She nodded. "The definition of how we live today. But that's why Nik's so relieved... We _all_ thought that Gahiji was..." She trailed off.

"You knew him?" Kai said. "Gahiji, I mean... You knew him before he was part of the Five?"

"He was Dobryak's son," London said. "Of course I knew him. Dr. Julien, Ed, Edna, and Dobryak were all my best friends long before we became the Five."

She squeezed his hand. "Come on," she said. "Gahiji has explaining to do, and you need to get rest."

Kai nodded. As he turned away from the scene, he found himself suddenly weak and nauseous. His grip on London's arm was a desperate one as she led him to the door. Why did he feel so sick? So tired?

He didn't care _why_ anymore. He didn't even have the energy for the Whisperer's spell to make him afraid. He just wanted a bed and sleep.

He just wanted to sleep.


	25. Revisit

Revisit

* * *

Down, Cafeteria

11:47 AM

* * *

Azamat was asleep in his chair, his head in the crook of his elbow, snoring softly.

If the circumstances had been different, he would probably have become a victim of his own prank. Certainly, his face was unguarded; the opportunity to draw a mustache on it was unparallelled.

And Lloyd might have done it, if he didn't feel so bad for the teenager.

The others were taking their turn in the Physical Training Room. Kai was in his room getting rest, and Amilia was in the infirmary with London, Gahiji, and Dr. Julien.

Lloyd's forehead was on the metal tabletop, his thoughts in guilty chaos. Guilty, because he was reflecting on Kai's words, spoken to him earlier that day.

_"Don't you pity me, Lloyd!" _

Lloyd bit his lip.

_"All of you - you're all pitying me and I hate it!"_

He closed his eyes. What Kai had said... He hadn't said it because of the Whisperer's spell. Kai - the _real_ Kai - really did feel sick of his condition. He really did feel sick of being so afraid of everything. Sick of not having control.

Which made him hate his friends for pitying him. For trying to be sympathetic, when all he wanted was to forget that he was even under the spell.

That he was crazy.

It hurt. More than Lloyd thought it would.

He lifted his head from the table, and jumped when he saw a dark-skinned face sitting across from him.

"Hi," December said. Her eyebrows raised; Lloyd pressed his forehead back to the tabletop, running his fingers through his hair and sighing.

"You and your cousin both show up at the most alarming of times," he said dryly.

December gave a short chuckle. "Sorry," she said, absently unwrapping a chocolate bar. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Lloyd's insides twisted as he watched her bite into her chocolate bar, realizing just how much he wanted one, too. He took his hands away from his hair and peeked up at her.

She noticed. "Want one?" she asked, pulling another snickers bar from the pocket of her cargo pants and sliding it across the table. He snatched it as soon as her fingers left it.

"Thanks," he said quickly.

December shrugged and smiled, her attention shifting from him to Azamat, who slept two chairs away from her. Lloyd watched him, too, as he unwrapped the candy bar and bit into it.

Azamat's chair was pulled almost all the way out from the table, so that he was barely sitting on the edge of it. His thick brown hair was unkempt, his sleeping expression soft.

"You have no idea how much I want to draw a mustache on him right now," December said.

Lloyd laughed gently. "I was just thinking the same thing," he said. "It'd be great to give him a taste of his own medicine. What do you think? Permanent, or washable?"

"Permanent, for sure," December said. "One of those big fat pink sharpies."

They both got a good chuckle out of that. When their giggles subsided, and Lloyd's candy bar was half-eaten, Lloyd examined December carefully.

Her eyes were puffy, he realized. Had she been... crying?

Could Gahiji's sister actually cry? The thought was strange. He was about to ask her if she was okay, when he remembered.

Of course she would have been crying... tears of joy. Her uncle was alive, and had returned to her - he was perhaps the only family that December had, apart from Zane and Gahiji.

At least, as far as Lloyd knew, Nik was their only family. He hadn't heard what had happened to their father or their mother, but the fact that they hadn't been mentioned at all made it clear that both were good and gone. December and Gahiji would speak about them if they weren't.

... At least, December would. Lloyd was beginning to doubt that Gahiji could even speak without bossing someone around.

Lloyd frowned. If Dr. Julien really was her only family, why wasn't she with him?

"Hey," he said. "Why aren't you in with Dr. Julien? He's your uncle, right?"

December looked at him. Her expression was suddenly sober.

"I... didn't want to stay." December shrugged, as if she didn't know how to explain. "I mean... Gahiji was talking about... stuff... and I just couldn't listen. I'll have time with my uncle later."

Lloyd's brow furrowed. He was about to press her, when December said, "So why are _you_ in here?"

Lloyd shook his head and smiled half-heartedly. "I just... can't get Kai's words out of my head. What he said about us pitying him."

"We're both pretty troubled, then, huh?"

Lloyd shrugged. There seemed to be a lot of shrugging in this conversation.

December folded up her candy wrapper, making a crease in the middle of it. "Don't worry," she said. "He'll get better."

"It's not him I'm worried about," Lloyd said. "I know he's gonna get better. I just... don't know what to do. I can't pretend like he's not sick and just treat him how I normally would. I can't sympathize with him without him hating me for it." He slumped in his chair, taking another bite of the snickers bar. "I don't know what to do with him. I don't think any of the others do, either."

December was silent. She was folding her wrapper into an airplane. Lloyd watched her.

"I don't know, either," she said finally.

Lloyd let his chin rest on the tabletop. He didn't know why he had expected December to know. It had just seemed like she would.

"I do know one thing, though," December said. She flipped the airplane's wings up, then flicked it into the air. It crash landed into Lloyd's nose.

Lloyd, startled, brushed the candy wrapper away. Then he picked it up and sent it soaring back to December.

The material the plane was made of wasn't great for flying. It went tumbling out of the air to land by December's hand.

"I don't want to talk about sad things," she said.

"Me neither," Lloyd admitted.

"But what should we talk about?"

"... Who said we had to talk?"

December's face split into a wide grin. Lloyd smiled back, and she threw the candy wrapper airplane at him.

* * *

Scrap and Junk

9:43 AM

* * *

Nya was beginning to wonder how hard it was to assemble a wrist communicator. Surely it didn't require a Jay-ish tantrum as Mr. Walker practically tore apart the Junkyard.

It was quite impressive to watch, actually. Apparently, Ed needed one more piece before the communicator could function. Junk went flying left and right. Pretty soon it wasn't safe to stay outside, as Ed had no regard for safety as tricycles and rubber flamingos came very near to crippling Garmadon twice.

And so the rest of them retreated inside, where they could have a conversation without yelling at one another over Ed's frustrated hollering.

"We can't sit around any more," Garmadon said from his seat on the couch next to Misako. Both of them were staring out the window at the piles of junk being shifted around outside.

"We aren't sitting around," Edna said, running a plate beneath the hot water from the faucet. "Or, at least, _I'm_ not sitting around. There are dishes to be done." She was indeed standing at the sink.

Garmadon closed his eyes. Nya watched with some amusement as he attempted to compose himself, and Wu, who stood beside Nya, chuckled.

"What I meant," Garmadon said, "was that we can't wait for Ed to finish this wrist communicator of his. We can't wait to contact the Five or whatever it's called. We have to find some way to attack this organization."

"I know what you meant, dear. I was just messing with you," Edna said smoothly. She put a stack of plates in a cupboard. They _clacked_ quietly together. "What do you propose we do? You're not Shautei."

Sensei Wu spoke. "As Misako said," he began, "even though _we_ are not Shautei, you and Ed are. And she's right. The Vengestone may be a good weapon against the Whisperers."

Nya recalled what Misako had talked about over breakfast that morning, that Vengestone might be a key oppressing force against these monsters. She nodded, and Garmadon did the same.

Edna's was shaking, though. She turned from the sink, drying her hands with a white towel.

"Here's the thing," she said. "We don't know what Whisperers are, exactly, or why they exist. And about their powers, their ability to wield Elements... well, we don't know how all that works, either."

"But do you really have to know what they are to fight them?" Garmadon said.

"No. Not with Shauto, at least..." Edna raised her hands in the air. "I'm just putting it out there. The only way that we've discovered to effectively fight and kill a Whisperer is by using Shauto. I just don't know if this Vengestone thing is going to work."

"Why wouldn't it?" Nya said. She glanced at Misako, then back to Edna. "I mean, if anyone knows about Vengestone, it's Misako."

"It's true." Misako wasn't abashed. Nya noticed the vial she was turning over in her hands. It was full of what looked like black sand - Vengestone. "I've been researching it since the Overlord's defeat. It's an alien material, probably deposited onto NinjaGo when an asteroid hit it over a hundred years ago. Everyone knows about the Element theory, right?"

"The theory that our world is composed of magical Elements? The very same Elements that the Ninja possess and wield?" Edna said. "Of course. It's a fundamental principle of Shauto. Shauto is fueled by those elements."

Misako nodded. "Exactly. And the reason why Vengestone will harm the Ninja is that it doesn't exist."

Edna paused. She set the towel down on the counter, eyes searching the refrigerator door as she mulled it over. "Makes sense," she said finally.

Nya cut in. "Wait," she said. "It doesn't make sense to _me_. How can it hurt the Ninja if it doesn't exist? It clearly does - it's right there in your hand."

Misako's eyes shone as she explained. "It doesn't exist in _NinjaGo_. It's an alien material, right?"

Nya, Sensei Wu, and Garmadon all followed her carefully. "Yes," Nya said.

"NinjaGo has its own system of Elements. Vengestone is a foreign element, one that isn't in NinjaGo's system, and therefore harms the Elemental Masters it comes into contact with. Does that make more sense?"

"Ohhh," Nya said. She nodded slowly. "So it doesn't exist, in terms of NinjaGo's system. Okay. Makes more sense... but if Vengestone really contradicts its own existence like that, how come when a regular Ninjagian touches it, it doesn't harm them?"

"I'm sure it does," Misako said. "But in a much less noticeable way. It probably seeps our energy away, but slower than it does an Elemental Master's."

Everyone exchanged disturbed looks. The vial in Misako's hands returned to her pocket.

"This is all fine and dandy," Garmadon said finally, sarcasm evident in his tone. "But I do have to point out that we still haven't done anything with this information. When push comes to shove, after all of this talking, Eboni still has our ship, we still don't know where the Ninja are, and we still haven't done anything about it."

Garmadon sure knew how to make things depressing. Nya found herself wishing that Kai was here - that Jay was here - that _everyone_ was here.

"Where could the Ninja be?" she said.

There was silence.

Edna's hands came down on the countertop with a _thud_, and everyone's attention was instantly caught.

Her gray eyes were uncharacteristically grave, her lips pulled tightly downwards in a frown. "Garmadon is right," she said.

Garmadon's eyebrows shot up. He obviously hadn't been expecting that.

"We can't sit around anymore. My son is missing. _Your_ son is missing." Here she looked the Garmadons. She turned next to Nya. "Your brother is missing."

Nya closed her eyes and bowed her head. _Oh, Kai, where are you?_

"Wu, your nephew, along with all your students are missing. There is no way we can let this go on. We have to find them, and we have to stop the Hidein."

Edna sighed. Her expression transitioned as smoothly as water over a duck's feathers, from serious to strangely nostalgic. "I don't know why I thought we could just walk away from this," she murmured to herself. "These Whisperers... these abominations... are the same monsters that existed seventeen years ago... the same monsters that killed Dobryak."

There was another intense silence.

"So what do we do?" Nya asked quietly.

Edna took a minute to breathe in deeply. Nya had never seen such a forlorn expression on Edna's bright features before. "Tell Ed that he's going to need to find that part on the way... We need more than one Shautei if we're going to do this."

"Do... what?" Misako said.

Edna dug around in her pocket. At last, she pulled out a rubber band from her overalls, and ran her hands through her hair.

They all watched her tie her hair back into a ponytail. She let go of the rubber band, then turned to face them, grinning broadly.

"We're gonna go looking for trouble."

* * *

Down, PTR

1:00 PM

* * *

Jay slowed to a stop, the sparks from his Spinjitzu tornado swirling in the still-circulating air. His element fizzed and puffed out.

Jay felt he might just do the same.

"You alright there, thundercracker?" Cole said, amused, as Jay leaned over and put his hands on his knees. The Master of Lightning waved his hand dismissively.

"I'm - fine," he huffed. "Just - _gaahh_ \- taking a breather. This is so _tiring_."

Zane, in the box next to Jay's, halted. He stumbled, then regained his footing.

"I have to agree with Jay," he admitted breathlessly. "Sensei didn't expect us to perform Spinjitzu for such long periods of time. This is a new experience."

"I had no clue that Spinjitzu was so hard!" Jay said. He sighed, and stood up straight. His muscles protested earnestly, sore legs rebuking him with a sharp pain. He moaned. "My legs _kill_."

Despite this, however, he found the strength to walk over to where Cole sat, watching them. Next to the Master of Earth was four plastic water containers.

"You're like the keeper of the water bottles over here," Jay said absently to Cole as he picked up his bottle and twisted the cap off.

Jay drank deeply, but took the bottle from his lips when it spurted from the opening and dribbled down his chin, wetting his shirt. He coughed.

Cole was studying some of his mother's handwritten notes on Shauto, his legs crossed and his lips pulled up in a crooked smile. "Do you need to switch out?" he said.

Jay shook his head and rubbed his hands together. They crackled with electricity. "I'll tell you when I've run out of steam," he said. "I could go for ten more minutes."

"I could use a break," Zane said, and stepped over the line marking the edge of the box. London had taken a can of black paint to the thin lines of the Spinjitzu box earlier that day, to make it easier to see the boundaries.

Cole handed Zane the stack of papers and traded places with him, rolling up his sleeves. "Let's get this show on the road," he mumbled. Within moments, he was spinning in a cloudy, earthen tornado.

Jay exhaled, supposing he should do the same, when a thought occurred to him.

"Where's Lloyd?" he asked.

"I don't know," Zane responded. He sat down where Cole had been sitting previously, tipping water from his own container into his mouth and shuffling London's papers.

Cole emerged from his tornado. "He said that he needed to think. He's in the cafeteria, I think?"

Jay blinked. His brow furrowed. "Do you think we should go get him?" he asked.

Cole shrugged. "The kid probably just needs some time to himself. We should let him be."

"You're right." Jay scratched his head. It was easy to forget that the kid was... well, a kid. Their team had done some weird stuff before, but they normally had guidance from their Sensei.

Jay tensed, then spun. His element crackled around him as his Spinjitzu tornado grew brighter.

He missed their Sensei. They all did. As of yet, they had not been able to make contact with home; Kai had tried multiple times with no luck. None of the Ninja's cellphones worked, either. Maybe technology just didn't agree with Shauto - something must have jammed them when they teleported from NinjaGo City three nights ago.

Three nights ago... three nights ago, the Ninja were coming home from a movie. A really good one, too.

Jay exhaled in bitter amusement. Now, here they all were, learning an obscure magic with a secret agency called the Five, saving the world from elemental ghosts, if indeed one could call a Whisperer that.

Not only that, but about half of the Ninja's parents were involved in the Five's secret agency. Talk about destiny. Jay called up the memory of his conversation with Kai and Azamat, about it being destiny that the Ninja were all involved in this together.

It made Jay wonder about things. A lot of things. For one, his ma and pa both knew Dr. Julien _and_ his brother Dobryak. It might be just possible that Jay had known them, too. Heck, he might have even known Gahiji and December, as kids.

The thought was a little disconcerting. December would have been around his age, maybe a little older. Jay wondered how much older Gahiji was than his sister. His guess was probably around five or six years, which would have made Gahiji a little younger than Lloyd was before he became the Green Ninja.

Jay also wondered about the destiny theory's effect on Amilia and Azamat. Jay had proved all of the Ninja's destinies were intertwined with the the Five's. Gahiji and December, as Dobryak's children, obviously fit in the puzzle.

The only thing that remained a mystery to Jay was the twin's parents. He would have to ask Azamat who they were - and if they fit into the puzzle of destiny that Jay had decided existed, then there could be no doubt that their involvement together was no mistake.

Jay slowed. He wiped sweat from his forehead, trying to blink away the ache in his muscles. Here he was, theorizing about destiny. Everyone would beat him to learning Shauto if he carried on like this.

"I've been thinking," said Cole suddenly. Jay turned to look at him.

The Master of Earth had his ninja mask pulled down, and he was gazing thoughtfully at the air in front of him.

"You've been thinking?" Jay repeated. "Spinjitzu Master forbid." He grinned at his friend, who rolled his eyes.

"I've just been thinking about all of this. About how strange it is. About how coincidental it is that we just happened to be attacked by that Whisperer, show up here, learning that half of our parents knew about Shauto and Whisperers... And I'm not sure that it sits well."

Cole's gaze shifted from the far wall to Jay, to Zane, then back to Jay. "I find it odd that we all just happened to get together - this secret agency led by my fourteen-years-dead mother fighting a secret band of elemental whatever-Whisperers-are, and us."

Jay chuckled. "You don't listen, do you?" he said. "I've already told you. It's destiny."

Cole eyed him dubiously. "I think it's more than that," he said. "I don't know about you guys, but all of this..."

"What are you saying?" Zane asked.

"I'm saying that I feel like we're being played." Cole dragged his foot across the black paint outlining the Spinjitzu box. "Not by the Five, but by the enemy. All this talk about Hidein, and how powerful they are, makes me wonder... No one is telling us what Hidoi can do - for good reasons, I guess - but I'm willing to bet that there are things that you can do with Hidoi that you can't do with Shauto. If Hidein are so powerful, and the Five are so wary of them..." He trailed off.

Jay was bemused. "You think that Hidein somehow... I don't know... read minds? See the future?"

Cole shook his head. "I don't know. But the Five - well, they have _Shauto_. You've seen what that can do. If they have all this power, but they're still scared of Hidein; well, that's gotta count for something."

Zane laid back across the floor. He put his hands over his chest, closing his eyes. "You are saying that you think the Hidein have been somehow controlling our actions?"

"It... happens," Cole said weakly.

Jay shook his head and laughed, relieved. "And I thought _I_ had an overactive imagination," he said. "You had me going for a second, dirtclod."

"It could happen!" Cole retorted, face flushing. "If I were the Hidein, I'd make sure I'd have magical powers to see into the future and see what the Five are going to do..." He deflated. "Wow. I see what you're saying."

Jay laughed again and leaned over to shove Cole playfully. "I think that the water pressure is getting to you," the Master of Lightning remarked. "Dreaming up funny schemes. You're starting to sound like Kai."

"That's not funny, Jay," Cole said, but he shoved him back, grinning. "You and I both know that Down is depressurized."

"Do you hear this guy, Zane?" Jay said, turning to the Nindroid. "Making excuses for his poor, pressured brain. It'll be starting to squish out his ears any moment now."

"Shut up!" Cole exclaimed. His laughter died quickly, though, as he turned to look at Zane, too.

The Shauto notes were discarded and Zane sat with his eyes closed, chin in his hands, and legs crossed. His thin brow was heavy with thought.

"Zane?" Jay inquired. He and Cole shuffled over to the Master of Ice. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Zane mumbled. His eyes were closed, and he breathed in and out deeply, like he was trying to fall asleep.

"Hey," Cole said, crouching down beside his teammate. "What's the problem?"

"I'm just thinking."

"About what?" Jay inquired.

Zane sighed, and opened his eyes. Forlorn flakes of frost observed Jay's face.

"I just... can't help myself from worrying," he said. "Things have changed so fast. My processors have by far and away done their job, and yet I am still having trouble wrapping my head around this, so to say."

He opened his eyes. "My father is in the room just next to this one," he said softly. "Speaking to my cousins, whom I never even knew existed until just yesterday. He has kept the Whisperers and Shauto a secret... I can't help but wonder why he has kept all of this from me. I am itching to speak to him, and yet I fear that he does not trust me enough to tell me the answers to my questions."

Jay was shocked. "Zane," he said, sitting down next to his teammate. His furrowed brow matched Zane's. "Why wouldn't he trust you? You're his son!"

"But why has he kept it from me?" Zane's pale eyes searched Jay's before they shifted to Cole's concerned gaze. "Why?"

Cole crossed his legs, and the three of them sat together. Silence seemed to buzz in the air around them.

"He has a reason, Zane," Cole said quietly. Jay looked at him; Cole's brow was heavy, too, but not with confusion or sadness. With strength. "My mama made me believe that she was dead for more than half my life. She had her reasons."

Zane rubbed his arms, closing his eyes. He looked more worried than Jay had ever seen him; his shoulders tense, his lips pursed, and his expression stretched so thin that Jay could clearly see his hurt.

"Don't worry, Zane," Cole said. He laid his hand on his teammate's shoulder, and smiled. "You'll speak to him, and he'll tell you. There's no way he won't."

The silence seemed less pressing now. Zane grimaced, but his hands came away from his arms. He looked up at his leader and managed a weak smile.

"Thank you, Cole," he said. "I believe you."

"Sure," Cole said. He glanced at Jay, who smiled back, relieved that Zane felt at least a little bit better.

The door to the PTR opened. It echoed throughout the chamber, and Cole, Zane and Jay all stood up. At the other end of the Physical Training Room stood Zane's father.

"Zane!" Nikolai called.

Zane didn't hesitate. He ran to his father, and he didn't stop until he embraced him. Soft laughter echoed through the room.

Jay and felt a grin spread across his face. He saw that Cole had one, too, which made his just grow wider.

"Ahh, let's just get training," he said at last. "And when we're done, we can go grate on Lloyd's nerves or something."

"_I think not_," hissed a voice in Jay's ear.

Jay screamed. He and Cole whirled around, raising their hands in a defensive gesture.

Lloyd and Azamat just about died with laughter.

The Masters of Earth and Lightning watched, shocked and frightened, as Lloyd pulled back from where he had stood next to Jay. The Green Ninja doubled over, guffawing, and Azamat's shoulders shook with laughter.

Jay realized what had happened, and punched Lloyd.

"Darn you, greenbean!" he exclaimed, while Lloyd just laughed harder. Jay launched more punches at Lloyd, who blocked the blows, but not without some difficulty, as he was laughing so uproariously. Cole put his hand over his heart and breathed in and out deeply.

"You guys," Lloyd choked out between shielding himself and giggling, "are _great_."

"How did you get behind me?" Jay demanded. "Tell me, you snot!"

Lloyd held up Azamat's teleportation coin. Jay's face contorted - Lloyd took one look at it and cracked up again.

Jay and Cole eventually did the same. "That was actually pretty clever," Jay admitted, chuckling. "But you got Cole more than me."

"Yeah, right!" Azamat said with a snicker. "You _screamed_!"

"You should have seen your face, Jay," Cole said.

"_My_ face? What about _yours_? You fell for it twice as badly as I did!"

"Oh, right, and you stunning vocal range proves that. You could be a soprano in a woman's choir."

Everyone laughed, including Jay, who knew a witty line when he heard one.

"Alright, alright. The fun is over," Nikolai said. During the hysterical confusion, he and Zane had walked back over to where the Ninja were training. Jay and the others quieted their giggling. "There are some new developments we need to discuss as a group."

Jay's smile, which had lingered after he had stopped laughing, dimmed.

Nikolai's skin was sickly bleached. Though he smiled, it was transparent. His eyes were sunken and his brow heavy, and his age was ever more apparent. Zane held his hand, mirroring his father's papery smile - he was obviously concerned.

He was right to be. Jay didn't think that he had ever seen Zane's father so unhealthy looking.

"Dr. Julien?" Azamat said, his voice tentative. "Are you well?"

Nikolai shook his head, then gave a short sound. It was somewhere between an exhale, a breathy laugh, and a suppressed sob. "I'm fine," he said. "These developments... have stretched my heart a little thin. Follow me, and we'll discuss them."

Jay exchanged looks with Lloyd, Azamat, and Cole, and as Nikolai and his son turned, they all followed.


	26. Becoming Disturbingly Relatable

Becoming Disturbingly Relatable

* * *

Down, Control Room

1:31 PM

* * *

The moment Lloyd entered the Control Room he felt the cold, heavy silence.

London and Gahiji stood at the front of the room, conversing in hushed tones. There were folding chairs arranged in a semi-circle around them, and the big touchscreen had notes scrawled across them in unintelligible markings. Lloyd realized after a moment that they weren't even Ninjagian.

Lloyd looked around for a moment. He sat down in one of the folding chairs near the end, unsure of what else to do.

He found himself eying Gahiji and London. London seemed to be doing most of the talking, while Gahiji nodded and shook his head in turn - London's gestures were varied while Gahiji's arms crossed over his chest.

Cole sat down beside Lloyd. "Something's not right here," he said quietly. Lloyd nodded as Zane seated himself beside Cole, and Jay beside Zane.

Lloyd half expected a red robed ninja to follow after and sit in the last empty chair. When a moment passed, Lloyd remembered that Kai wasn't here - he was asleep in his room, recovering from some of the effects of the Whisperer's Spell.

Azamat took the empty seat.

Lloyd frowned. Was this the first time the Ninja had ever been without one of their members to consult? It felt wrong to begin without Kai.

While the Ninja seated themselves in the folding chairs provided for them, December came in through the door. Lloyd saw her and shot her a smile, which she returned with a much more anxious one. She took up a place beside her uncle, who stood next to the end of the row of chairs.

She looked worried. Lloyd didn't blame her. His own mood was starting to mirror hers as he turned and saw London face the group.

"Is this everyone?" she asked.

_No,_ Lloyd thought. _Kai and Amilia are missing._ But it was better that they simply rest; both had been through a lot.

"Alright," London said at last. "I want to just apologize to you."

Lloyd's eyebrows raised. All the Ninja exchanged confused looks.

"When we recruited you to help fight the Whisperers, we had no idea just how far along into the battle we truly are," London said. "And now, with everything that we have just discovered... I realize just what we've put on your shoulders."

"Ah, mom," Cole said when London paused. "You're talking to the Elemental Ninja. We've had the world on our shoulders before."

"I know," London said with a small smile. "I just... I led you into this mess telling you that you were fighting the Whisperers. It turns out that this is only partially true."

She sighed. "I want you all to understand something. For the longest time, the Five were simply a group of extraordinary minds coming together to research extraordinary things. The Walkers, the Juliens, and myself decided that we would pursue the mystery of the creatures we had found - the Whisperers - and the small beginnings of Shauto here and there. Never in a million years could we have supposed that we would be fighting the objects of our research, nor could we have dreamed that we would be using the little-known Amid healing rituals as our main defense against them.

"Up until a few months ago, we thought that Whisperers were the _only_ thing we were fighting. But the signs have always been there - Whisperers have been coordinated in their assaults. They've been almost _strategic_, which is precisely what has confused me for so long - Whisperers are mere forces. They are, in a sense, the action of destroying something. Craftiness and cunning are not traits that they possess, and go against their nature.

"So we called on you. Shauto needed to be shared with fighters who would use it for the good of NinjaGo - the good of this _planet_. With the increasing attacks and power of the Whisperers, our band of Five was not enough.

"But now, after all these years of research, we finally know our enemy. They have carefully, almost perfectly, concealed themselves. This is why I apologize. For so long, we have believed that -"

London was cut off by Gahiji.

"Her point is," he said. London shut her mouth tightly, while Gahiji's flat expression showed just how long bored of her speech he was. "Whisperers are working together with Hidein to bring about the end of the world."

The silence echoed. London shot Gahiji and annoyed look, and he returned hers with an unapologetic one.

"Wait -" Jay started, then stopped. "But - we can't -?"

It was a testament to the moment that Jay was speechless.

"So you're saying," Zane said slowly, "that the Whisperers are the Hidein's army?"

Gahiji shook his head. "Rather, that Whisperers are weapons. The real army is composed of Hidein."

"I need a refresher," Cole said. "Hidein are people who use... Hidoi. Right?"

"The ones we are fighting are powerful warriors," Gahiji responded stiffly. "And they are all killers."

"Is it Krovimastaa?"

All heads swiveled towards Azamat. His face was so white that he might have been sick; but he regarded Gahiji seriously.

Gahiji's mouth opened, then closed. His expression conflicted with itself, being first confused, then taken aback, then nervous. It was the most emotion displayed on his face at once that Lloyd had ever seen.

"No," he said finally, once his features settled. He looked troubled.

"How do you know?" Azamat said.

"Because it's not him."

Lloyd cut in. "Who?"

Now heads turned to him. Lloyd thought that his teammates would be as confused as he was, but when he saw their disbelieving faces, he realized that he was in the minority. All of the other Ninja were horrified at Lloyd's question.

"Haven't you heard of him?" Zane asked.

"... _Who_?"

"You're kidding," Jay said breathlessly. "You _haven't_?" He gave Lloyd a concerned look. Lloyd, suddenly self-conscious, shook his head.

Gahiji folded his arms. "Explain it to him later," he said gruffly. "What matters is that it's not Krovimastaa."

"How do you know that?" Azamat shot back. "We don't know where or _what_ he is - he could have been the one who built the army. He's been gone for long enough to -"

"It's not Krovimastaa," London said.

"Who is it, then?"

"Hokori Wyche," Gahiji said.

He spoke with a finality that made Azamat clamp his mouth shut and Lloyd's teammates lean back in their chairs with long, drawn-out sighs. For once, the Ninja's confusion matched Lloyd's at the mention of Hokori Wyche.

Lloyd found himself too lost to say anything. Whoever Krovimastaa was, he had to have been bad. He didn't think he had ever seen Zane so pale, nor Jay so silent. Cole's hands gripped the sides of his chair as if it was going to get up and leave.

"Hokori Wyche," London explained, "is possibly the most powerful thug in the underworld. He is not only a black market dealer, but is a master thief, with a team of Hidein robbers - and now, an army of them."

The name sounded vaguely familiar... Lloyd wondered how he had heard of this man. Perhaps through his father?

"Wait," Zane interrupted. "So he's a thief... and he's using Whisperers and his army to take over the world?"

"Destroy it," London said.

"But why would a thief even _want_ to destroy the world?" Cole asked. "Wouldn't he just want to rule it?... I mean, going with this whole evil vibe."

"Intentions change - or, more accurately, _Hidoi_ changes your intentions."

"And... Hidoi's intention is to destroy the world?" Cole said, for clarification. In the following silence the Ninja turned to London, who turned to Gahiji.

Gahiji frowned, then explained. "Shauto is an intelligent force, as is Hidoi. The two forces have been fighting since the First Spinjitzu Master created this world. Hidoi's intention is to win that fight - and to win, it must destroy the world."

Cole whistled. "So this Hidoi is worse than the Overlord was," he murmured.

"I would say the two walked hand in hand," Gahiji said.

Questions swirled in Lloyd's mind. _So the Overlord had to have known Hidoi, then? How come we never saw him use it? Maybe we just didn't recognize it, because we didn't know what we were looking for?_

"So let's get this straight," said December suddenly. "The Whisperers that we have been fighting aren't our real enemy, but weapons that are being used to destroy the world. Our actual enemy is about fifty times more powerful, not to mention are actual human beings that we might have trouble fighting. Hokori has an army and he's prepared to unleash it on NinjaGo so that Hidoi can destroy the planet. Is that what you're saying?"

There was a pause. Then both Gahiji and London nodded.

December looked cross. "How the heck did we not make this connection earlier?"

"Because -" London cut herself off. Her mouth moved like she wanted to keep talking, but she didn't have words. She looked to Gahiji, who gave a long sigh.

"Because I thought I had it all hidden from Hokori," he said. "But I didn't. As carefully as I concealed our identity, I underestimated him..." He trailed off, troubled expression returning.

Lloyd's eyebrows shot up. "So you knew Hokori?" he said.

Gahiji nodded. "I worked with him."

A pause.

Lloyd tried to speak. "As a - a -"

"As a weapon," Gahiji said flatly.

The sudden silence forced Lloyd to think fast. A weapon - a warrior. A killer. And because he had served under Hokori, a powerful Hidein thief, he would also have been…

"You were Hidein?" Zane asked.

Gahiji nodded.

December seemed satisfied - if disturbed - by his answer. "So Hokori might have known about us for years, then."

"Which means that we're really in a pit," London said. She sighed. "We're on the receiving end of a surprise attack with a last-minute heads-up. There's no guarantee what the outcome of this will be. We are going to have to face this Hidein Army, with or without preparation."

"Wait," Zane said suddenly. Everyone looked at him, surprised by his urgency. "Can we clarify… Gahiji, you were…?"

He trailed off, but everyone filled in the question for him in the silence. Everyone stared at Gahiji.

The Amidian nodded slowly - almost calmly. "I was Hidein," he said, "and as such, I took countless lives. I served under Hokori as his bodyguard and personal assassin."

Then he leaned back in his chair. "I am not proud of what I've done," he said stiffly. "But it is the truth. It is time you know it."

Lloyd's mind reeled with all sorts of emotions - horror, nervousness, sympathy, and repulsion all clamored for the spotlight, but Lloyd didn't know which to devote his mind to.

His fear decided to seize him.

A murderer. He was sitting in a room with a real murderer.

"And you've… changed, obviously," Zane said. He sounded like he had meant the statement to have been stronger, but it was breathless and a little faded.

"Obviously," Gahiji said. "I would not be able to use Shauto if I hadn't."

Lloyd felt his entire frame of reference shift uncomfortably. When he blinked, he saw Gahiji in a whole different light. The Amid man suddenly had a reason for why he was the way he was, and it made him seem…

Disturbingly relatable.

"Let's not dwell on it," London said, after another moment. "We have to face the situation at hand… there's no time for discussion."

Lloyd realized that Azamat, December, London, and even Dr. Julien had been waiting patiently for Gahiji to say it - for the moment to pass. The color returned to Azamat's face and December stood up straighter, after having recomposed herself.

_So they all knew it was coming,_ he thought.

Azamat spoke. "Our first order of business should be to secure the City," he said. "If there's gonna be a battle, like you say, at least the people of NinjaGo should stay out of the way."

December nodded. "I agree," she said. "We have to keep them as safe as possible."

London turned to Lloyd and the others. "You have to train with all your might, Ninja," she said. "It is _imperative_ that you are ready to fight. We must train you harder, and you must put all your effort into unlocking Shauto. But I don't know anymore... do I have the right to even ask that of you?"

There was a pause.

"The world is at stake, mom," Cole said at last.

"If we said no, we'd be letting the world perish," Zane added. Jay and Lloyd both nodded their affirmation.

Lloyd's lips pursed. He knew what this entailed. They all did. London was asking them to risk their lives. It was a request - no, a requirement - that had been expected of them the moment they had become ninja.

It was something that had gone without saying before. Somehow, they had all just known it. Maybe it was London's drawing attention to it that made him realize that there was a real chance that they might not last a week longer.

It was never something that they had told each other, never until that last battle - the fight with the Overlord - when they had realized just how much they were risking for NinjaGo.

But Lloyd's eyes met his teammates' as they all looked around the circle, and it became very clear that he was prepared to do it. The concept of entering this world of Shauto and Whisperers and things that they didn't understand, and never stepping foot out of it… He realized that he could embrace it.

Something simply resonated there, a feeling that Lloyd couldn't put his finger on. It was bright, and glowed steadily within his breast without his even thinking about it.

Lloyd would give his life to keep NinjaGo safe. That familiar strength returned when his steady gaze reflected his teammates' - that warm, invigorating hope that had so often brightened his friend's faces, and that did so now.

Maybe Jay's destiny theory had something to it, because now his heart beat with an even, fearless ferocity. Despite these ridiculous odds, he felt strong and ready.

He felt…

Shauto.

Lloyd could do nothing but sit in his chair so straight that he thought he would crack into pieces if he moved.

The word stuck. Shauto - that was what it was. _That_ was this feeling!

His shock immobilized him as the power surged through his being, leaving him breathless. The fire of Shauto flowed stronger with each beat of his heart, blazing hotter than ever now that Lloyd had put a name to the sensation.

It was so clear. It was so obvious. This feeling, the one that had possessed him since the golden weapons had first chosen him as the Green Ninja - the one that followed him through his Spinjitzu - it was Shauto. He had known it since he had become the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master.

Each breath didn't give him enough air to allow him to be back in the moment.

He knew Shauto. He had known it all along.

Dear_ Overlord_, he was the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master! Of course he knew Shauto! The First Master had created the world using Spinjitzu. If that was so, then Shauto had never been Spinjitzu, but Spinjitzu had been Shauto.

He knew Shauto, because he was its master.

At last the air he breathed seemed real; at last he could hear Cole's words in his ear as the Master of Earth shook his shoulder gently. "Hey, Lloyd," he said. "Lloyd, you alright?"

Lloyd nodded. "Y-yeah, I am," he said. Everyone else was talking amongst themselves; the council had carried on without him, and no one had yet noticed him.

He must have still looked traumatized, because Cole gave him a concerned look. "I'm fine, Cole, really," Lloyd said.

Cole opened his mouth to say something, when Zane tapped on his shoulder, and he turned around, his hand leaving Lloyd's shoulder.

Lloyd could have told Cole what had happened, but he couldn't find the words. His mind raced unchecked with the fierce pulse of Shauto. His gaze travelled over the others in the room until suddenly, with a very jarring realization, he found himself looking straight at Gahiji, and Gahiji at him.

Lloyd's heart dropped and the Shauto burned brighter.

Then, ever so slowly, Gahiji nodded.

It hit Lloyd, a slap in the face that felt somehow harder than his new discovery, that he knew. _Somehow_, Gahiji knew that Lloyd had unlocked it - that he had put a name to Shauto's face.

And he wasn't quite smiling - no, not quite. It was a look of approval that he gave Lloyd. It was a sly look, one that told Lloyd that Gahiji thought Lloyd's discovery both unexpected and funny.

And to Lloyd's own surprise, he found himself grinning back.

Gahiji's eyes left Lloyd's as he focused on the conversation, but the silent laughter in his eyes remained.

Lloyd's stomach flipped for the second time that day.

What was that? An exchange with a murderer… or was he Shautei? It was the kind of exchange that Lloyd might have had with his father. But Gahiji was a killer. Right?

Lloyd's mind dived back into confusion again, as the shock of Shauto faded, and Gahiji became even more disturbingly relatable.

* * *

Down, Control Room

3:40

* * *

London exhaled slowly. Her hands traveled over the big screen as she pulled schedules and notes to the front of the screen. She took notes on the side of the screen with a small drawing program.

_So we have to figure out how to keep NinjaGo safe and fight the Hidein at the same time, huh?_ she thought. _Where to start. We need to replace the Shields on NinjaGo's borders… train the Ninja… contact Ed and Edna… Fix up a jet that won't kill the Ninja if they touch it… Get the Ninja on patrols, focusing primarily on towns and cities… and figure out how in the world we're going to fight the Hidein._

She stood back, staring up at the notes.

_Was that all? _she thought, frowning._ Seems like a lot less than what I was thinking. _

A thought occurred to her. _Ah. That's why I thought it was a lot less. _

There was the problem with Amilia.

According to Gahiji, there was a high chance that she had been… altered. He said he didn't fully recognize the technique or the thought behind it, but Amilia was not going to be the same when she woke up. The only thing he had confirmed was that it had something to do with the bite that Hokori had given her - and of course, Hidoi.

Everything came back to Hidoi. This army, human nature - and Gahiji insisted it was even the answer to the Whisperers. Though London was skeptical of his idea, she had to admit it had something to it. Gahiji knew more about Hidoi than her… Actually, he knew probably more about it than anyone ever would. Who was she to contradict him?

The main argument against this theory was that Whisperers used elements. Hidoi didn't correspond with elements at all. London couldn't contradict the fact that Whisperers were masters of elements and could wield them.

But back to her initial train of thought… London smiled sadly and shook her head. She scrawled Amilia's name at the bottom of her notes. It was so easy to lose herself in theory and reasoning, but she had no time for such speculation.

"Hey."

London turned around. Nikolai stood behind her; he had switched his bloodstained lab coat out for a black button-up shirt that he had salvaged from his old room. He smiled in a way that made his features seem like worn leather.

"Nik," London said. She gave a soft laugh. "It's so strange to say your name again," she admitted.

Nikolai's smile widened. "I know," he said. Then he looked up at the board. "You've certainly upgraded the conference room since I left. It used to be a chalkboard there, instead of this… touchscreen monstrosity."

London chuckled. "I thought you'd think it was more a wonder than a monstrosity."

"I don't think I'll ever really get used to it," Nikolai said. "I'm too far behind the times to get used to something like this. Look at all the monitors here!"

"Those are the Bird's screens. They're for monitoring patrols."

Nikolai frowned, and looked the six screens on both sides of the big touchscreen over. "What a lot of space they take up. This really is a Control Room."

London laughed. She then closed her mouth, smiled sadly, and said, "I missed you, Nik."

Nikolai's frown evaporated. He let his hands fall into his pockets. "I know," he said softly, "and I'm sorry. I should have contacted you sooner. It shouldn't have been like this; especially for poor December."

"It's alright. You were locked in a tower for seven years… What really matters is that you're alive and you've come back to us." London's heart caught in her throat, and she fell silent. She turned to face the screen again.

Then she whirled around. "I have some questions to ask you," she said suddenly. Nikolai's eyebrows shot up, but he grinned.

"Please, ask away," he said.

"I saw you when you were healing Amilia in the Control Room," she said. "You healed her with just peppermint and the rituals - no Connection Rivers or elemental grips or anything. I've never even thought of such a thing! How did you do it?"

"Oh, that!" Nikolai suddenly was as excited as London was. "But I _did_ have connection rivers, _and_ elemental grips." He showed her his palms, and she took them in her own hands, examining them.

"Look," he said. "I have just a simple Life Circle and punctuation there - the Purpose is left out. I just drew it on my hand when I came to investigate the battle back in the Birchwood Forest."

"What about the Connection Rivers?" London said.

"Well, you see, London, the human body had Connection Rivers already installed."

It took London a moment to decipher his meaning. She gasped. "Oh, Overlord!" she said. "You mean the blood veins in our arms?"

Nikolai nodded, grinning widely. London beamed back.

"Nik, that's genius!" she exclaimed.

"Isn't it? And of course, one can do it without peppermint, but it will never be quite the same as with the liquid," he said. "The most one would be able to heal would be a small cut or burn. The peppermint was necessary for Amilia, to calm her."

"Wow!" London said.

She and Nikolai simply laughed for a moment. London gripped Nikolai's hands tighter as they giggled together - the moment was so ridiculous and nostalgic that it made London's chest ache.

Then they caught each other's eye and smiled, making London break and her eyes fill with tears.

"You're alive," she whispered. She embraced him, swallowing a sob. "I thought you were dead."

"I know," he said again. His frame, as London hugged it desperately, felt frail and old. Weak. But he held her tightly regardless. "I'm sorry, London. I'm so sorry."

London's tears wetted his cloak silently.

Then she pulled away, and laughed, wiping her eyes. "It's like old times," she said softly. "All of this. Fighting an enemy we don't understand, studying together, teaching younger people than us to use Shauto, and all the while making silly little discoveries like that… It's just so strange, now that you're here. I feel like I'm almost reliving it."

Nikolai chuckled and nodded. London composed herself, taking a deep breath and letting it out steadily between her lips.

"Alright," she said, in a definite way. "We have work to do. Did you want to help, or would you rather… uh… hang with your family?"

"Well," Nikolai said. He pondered for a moment. "I'd like to hang out with the two kiddos together, but I don't think that's possible."

"Gahiji's running a Singe anyways," London said, tapping her drawing program and bringing it back to the front of the screen. "Unless by the two kiddos, you meant Zane and December."

"No. I meant the brother and sister." Nikolai sighed. He shoved his hands in his khaki pockets. "Gahiji." He paused to snort in annoyance. "I swear, that kid. He's so... different, since he left."

London's hand hovered over her notes. She copied his long exhale, and turned to face him. "Yeah," she said. "Hidoi changed him, and not for the better."

"How bad was it?"

"… What do you mean?"

"I mean, how bad was _it_?" Nikolai gazed at her evenly, his brow firmly pushing down on his eyes. "His time as a Hidein — what made it so terrible? What exactly did that poor boy go through those five years?"

There was a silence. London's lips pursed. She hated to say it — she wished she had a different answer for him — but she didn't.

"I don't know," she said.

Nikolai's eyes widened in disbelief. "You -?"

"As far as I know, Gahiji has never divulged that information with anyone," London said. Her frustration showed through her voice, though she tried to keep it from doing so. "He has told me only what he has seen fit to tell me. Now I have a lot of work to do. Are you going to help me?"

Nikolai paused. "Yeah," he said at last. "I will."

"Perfect." London checked the time at the top of the screen. "We have a couple hours until bedtime… We should wake Kai up and let him do a session of Takigyo. And Amilia will need some special attention, though I should probably send her brother for that, and the Ninja can accompany Kai. Gahiji and I need to patch the Shield for NinjaGo City and investigate the factory we found a few days ago. Do you think you could… I guess it would be kind of a shocker if you called the Walkers, huh?"

Nikolai smiled. "You need help deciding what you need help with," he said. "Doesn't that sound familiar."

London sighed, but she was grinning, too. She scrolled through her list. "Oh! You know what, the Ninja need a training session. Can you do that?"

"Of course."

"Thanks," London said. She looked over her notes again. "Yeah. If you do that, it'll make this go a whole lot smoother."

"Waging war is tough, huh?" Nikolai said.

London glanced back at him, surprised by his remark. Then she slumped, sighed, and looked back up at her list.

"I really am waging war, huh," she murmured.

"Don't worry, London," Nikolai said quietly. "Shauto will prevail. It always does."

"But I'm worried that it will cost lives to do so. Not just among us Shautei, but among the people of NinjaGo." London's hand rested on the dashboard. "Innocent people might die… and I don't know if I'm prepared to live with that."

Nikolai opened his mouth, then closed it. He silently put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

London turned to him. "It doesn't really matter, though, does it?" she said quietly. "I have to be prepared for it, whether I am or not. We're fighting Hidein. An _army_ of them."

"Oh, come now," Nikolai said, after a brief silence. "I came in here to cheer you up, not make you all angsty."

London blinked. Then she gave a small smile. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"No, _I'm_ sorry," Nikolai said. He squeezed her shoulder. "Here I am, not doing what you asked. Where are the Ninja?"

London shook her head. "Try the PTR. They've spent most of their time there the past few days."

"What about… what's his name. The one with the hair like a tornado."

"Oh, Kai," London said, after a moment of pondering. He hadn't done his hair up like that in a while. "No. Instruct the Ninja to take him to the Takigyo Garden… he needs a session in there."

"Will do, Commander."

London gave him a funny look. Nikolai shrugged his shoulders. "It feels strange not to be in charge," he admitted. "But you're doing a fine job. I can rest easy with you at the wheel."

London grinned. Then she pushed him in the opposite direction. "Go see if you can get one of them to unlock Shauto," she said.

"Roger that." Nikolai waved a hand in goodbye and ambled out of the room.

London was left with a grin on her face. _Ah, it's been so long, _she thought, as she closed her drawing program and the documents she had opened. _I forgot how dry he was_.

She pulled her sleeve back and dialed Gahiji's number on the wrist communicator. "Hey," she said, "We need to head to NinjaGo City to patch the Shield. We'll meet at the east border."

Gahiji's voice fuzzed back through the speaker. "Alright," he said. "Give me a minute. I'll be right there."

London froze. In the background on Gahiji's side of the mic was a sudden piercing boom of a gunshot.

"Are you at the factory?" she demanded.

"Yes," Gahiji said, after a moment. "I don't think this is the place we're looking for."

"_Gahiji_! You went alone?" London's shock translated through her voice a little too well. She heard the feedback on the other side of the line.

"Yeah, I had some spare time."

_I think it says something about your emotional health that you choose to risk your life in your spare time, _London thought, gritting her teeth. "Alright, you can fill me in when we meet up at the City. In the meantime, don't get killed."

"I've got things under control."

Another gunshot. London frowned.

"I trust you, Gahiji," she said.

"I'll meet you at the east border."

Gahiji terminated the call, and London pulled her sleeve back over the wrist communicator. She pulled out her teleportation coin, flipping it once and shaking her head.

_I swear, that kid,_ she thought, recalling Nikolai's words about his nephew. She smiled grimly before instructing her teleportation coin to take her to the City's east border. Because Gahiji was still "that kid", as far as the both of them were concerned.

London didn't think that any amount of sin, grief, or broken hearts on Gahiji's part would ever change that.


	27. Shmalternative Rock

Shmalternative Rock

* * *

Yujaj (east border of NinjaGo)

3:56 PM

* * *

Yujaj was not a tourist destination. The most anyone would be able to see was the fishing boats and the century-old shops. The streets were gravel. No one owned an automobile. Grass and rocks dominated the marshy landscape, and the whole place smelled like ocean and stale, sun-baked stone.

And the population was composed mostly of Amid.

London sat on a bench outside the old worn-out bookstore. She watched three Amid boys play in the rocky street, chattering in their mother tongue and jumping around on what London figured was a sort of hopscotch made out of big rocks and sticks.

One pointed at her, and they all fell silent until one of them tripped and fell into the pebbles.

She wasn't surprised. The town bordered the sea directly across from the frozen Amid Isles, making the majority of the people here Amid immigrants trying their luck on the mainland. Ninjagians lived here, too, but there were so little of them that the kids probably knew each by name and face. An outsider was something of an oddity.

Most Ninjagians didn't like to settle in Amid cities. For a lot of people, the separation was too obvious to tolerate. It was unfair, the detest that most Ninjagians showed the Amid people, but the two races had never quite got along; most Amid hated the Ninjagians as much as the Ninjagians despised them.

London lifted her left hand to check her watch. Three fifty-seven. Gahiji should have been here by now.

Heck, maybe he was here, and London just couldn't see him in the crowd of people strolling the streets who looked just like him.

Perhaps, if she was an Amidian herself, she would have been able to identify the differences between the people who were, every single one of them, tall, white haired, white eyed, and brown skinned. But for the most part, she'd be trying to tell the difference between a thread spun by a black widow and one by a jumping spider.

She shrugged. _Look for his nice leather jacket._ He'd be the only one wearing something like that in a town of linen trousers and shirts.

That was when the orange glow caught her eye. It came from behind the pawn shop just across from the bookstore, casting a warm light on the shop windows as well as the snowy heads of the children playing hopscotch. The kids didn't even see the strange glow, too busy wiping the blood from their scraped palms and knees and pointing their scars out to their friends.

London sighed softly. The Amid form she recognized as Gahiji, leather jacket and all, came out from around the building, dusting himself off. _He couldn't have picked a more discreet place to teleport to?_

"There you are," London said, when she reached him, carefully stepping around the huddling children. It didn't matter, though, because the moment the kids heard her strange language, they were watching. She looked at Gahiji scrutinizingly. "Tell me again why you went to the factory? Alone?"

Gahiji's brow furrowed. "I told you," he said, "I had spare time."

London realized that he was pressing one hand to his collarbone. "Gahiji, are you hurt?" she demanded. Gahiji shook his head, but there was blood on his palm when he drew it back.

"Took a shot to the shoulder, nothing serious," he said.

London was aghast. "Nothing serious?" she repeated. Then she growled. "Don't give me that look, Gahiji. You know you can't be so reckless."

The look Gahiji had given her hadn't actually been much different than the one he had started off with, but London knew he thought she was being worrisome. And maybe she was. But that was exactly how his father had gotten ill and died—recklessly, without a way to heal himself. She couldn't help but... well, worry.

"I'll fill you in on the details later," Gahiji said. "We're going a short distance past Adolfjin, then?"

"Yeah," London said at last. "We'll start there, then go around to the Badlands and Orraran area. Three different punctuation areas, do you think?"

"Six," Gahiji said. He put his hands on his hips, where his bloody hand stained his gray shirt. "Seems like the last time we did three, it collapsed within the day." He took his coin out again. "Let's go."

London raised her eyebrows. "What, no sightseeing?"

Gahiji cast her a queer look; a cross between a grimace and a smirk.

London realized, as she caught hold of Gahiji's shoulder, that the three Amid boys were all staring at the pair of them, little pale eyes following every move London made.

"Should we move?" Gahiji said.

"Nah," London said. "They're only kids. It'll be a treat for them."

Gahiji pursed his lips, but didn't press the matter.

London grinned at the children as the teleportation coin enveloped them in orange light, and their eyes grew wide and their mouths round and open. Then Shauto undid them, and they were whisked away in a flurry of sunset colors.

* * *

Down, Hallway

3:28 PM

* * *

"So I guess the stakes have never been higher, eh?" Jay said, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Quite right," Zane said. "We must try harder than ever to learn Shauto, as the world once again rests on our shoulders."

"I'm actually excited to learn it," Cole said. "I wonder how it will feel. And then we'll actually be able to go out and run patrols—or Singes or whatever."

The Ninja all exited the Control Room, trotting down the hall towards the PTR at the opposite end. There was a buzz about them; a sort of united hope in their footsteps.

"We'll actually be useful for once," Jay said, earning confused looks from his teammates. "We've been sitting around on our rear ends studying Shauto for the past couple days, if you hadn't noticed. As cool as staying in a secret underwater base is, it'll be nice to get out of Down."

"Guys," Lloyd said.

"I agree," Cole added, missing Lloyd's small voice. "Then we'll be able to kick some Whisperer butt."

"Guys, I have to talk to you," Lloyd said, touching Zane's arm to get the Ice Master's attention. Zane turned to look at the Green Ninja, who's face was flushed honey-bright and eyes shining.

"What is it, Greenbean?" Cole said.

They stopped walking, all turning to the flustered but ecstatic Lloyd. "I know Shauto," he blurted as soon as they halted.

A chorus of gasps followed the exclamation. "What?" Cole said. "You what?"

"You learned it?" Jay said, his eyes popping. "When? How? What does it feel like?"

"How do you know?" Zane said.

Lloyd raised his hands, chuckling. "Hold on, one question at a time," he said. "I feel kind of stupid—I just realized that I knew Shauto the whole time."

Zane reached out and took Lloyd's shoulder. "The whole time?" he repeated.

"Ever since I became the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master," Lloyd said. "Actually, before then, when I was just the Green Ninja—it was probably what I created the Kamehamehas out of."

"Uh, Kame_what-y-whats_?" Jay cut in.

"A Kamehameha," Zane explained absently, "is the gathering of energy to form a sphere of pure force between one's hands. The only thing Lloyd can do that the rest of the Elemental Ninja can't." He gazed at Lloyd for a moment before he said, "And you can do it because you knew Shauto."

Cole ran his hand through his hair, beaming at Lloyd. "It all fits!" he said. "But how did you unlock it, if you didn't even know what it was?"

"And London's never said anything about Kaimeehamaihas," Jay added. "Are you the only one that can do it, or if it's something the Five don't know about?"

"Guys," Lloyd said. He was still smiling. "Think about it. What's my element?"

They all went to answer, mouths open to speak, when they realized they didn't know.

"Well... you're the Green Ninja," Cole said. "And the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master. So you're element is... uh..."

"You never had an element," Zane said, understanding dawning in his mind. "Not one that we could name, at least—but now—!" He cut off, astounded.

"I'm the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master!" Lloyd said, laughing. His arms went into the air, and his grin shone as bright as noonday sun. "My element is Shauto!"

Cole and Jay were both lost for words, but Zane gave a breathy laugh and put his hand to his forehead. "Amazing!" he said. "We have to tell London—we have to tell my father!"

His eyes widened at his own statement. "We have to tell my father," he said again, just to make sure he meant it. Then he smiled. "He will be thrilled to hear this."

"And the other thing," Lloyd said, his smile dimming a bit. "I also have to ask you guys-"

"Hold on now," Jay said, jumping forward and holding his hands out. "So if you know Shauto, you should be able to do just—well—do like Healing and Rescuing? Like the Five?"

They all looked at him intently. Lloyd chewed his lip, staring at his hands.

"I must be able to," he said at last. "I mean, I Healed myself when I went up against the Overlord and became the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master. And... rescuing?"

"They haven't shown us the formula for that yet," Zane said.

"So try it!" Jay said, cuffing Lloyd on the shoulder. "Do the Healing thing."

"I've got nothing to try it on," Lloyd said. Then he smirked. "Which of you wants a paper cut?"

They all backed away from him. "Maybe try it some other time," Cole said, "when we actually need it."

Lloyd laughed as they all started down the hall again. "But I have another thing to talk about," he said, "that's not related to Shauto. It's about the conference we just had. The things we were talking about in there."

Zane looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I gotta know." Lloyd's joy sputtered out. "Azamat mentioned that - that one guy. The Cold Master guy. Do you know what I'm talking about—? I don't remember his name exactly."

The mood in the hallway dropped as fast as Zane's heart. _Krovimastaa_. A wave of bitter memories crashed over him; Cole and Jay both fell silent, exchanging solemn looks.

"You guys all know about him, and I have no idea who he is," Lloyd continued. "Please, will you tell me?"

"Well," Cole said reluctantly.

"Boys!"

They all turned around, surprised at the way Dr. Julien addressed them. The Doctor stood at the other end of the long corridor, having just left the Control Room. He waved and sped his pace as he came towards them. "Boys, we're just about to instruct you a little further on the basics of Shauto," he said.

"Lloyd already knows it," Jay said quickly as Dr. Julien caught up to them.

Zane gave a short sigh of relief, grateful that his father had shown up when he did. The Master of Ice did _not_ want to have to explain anything about Krovimastaa to Lloyd, nor did he want to watch anyone else do it.

Nikolai turned sharply to the young Ultimate Spinjitzu Master. "You already know it?" he said, sounding both shocked and delighted.

Lloyd rubbed the back of his head, grinning.

"Wonderful!" the old man said. "You'll have to tell me all about it when we get to the MTR, but first—" he turned to Zane "—we need to get Kai to his next session of Takigyo. Can you do that while I set up to teach you all some of the basics?"

"Of course," Zane said.

"Wonderful," his father said again. "You do that, and once Kai is started his Takigyo you four will explain to me how Lloyd has unlocked it so quickly—and perhaps unlock it yourselves."

Dr. Julien parted the group by going across the hall, to where the Ninja were headed before. "Thanks again," he said, before he disappeared into the Mental Training Room.

The Ninja all looked at each other.

"Let's go get Kai," Zane said finally. They all started back down the hall again, opposite the way they had been headed, towards the door of Room 7.

"I can't believe your element is Shauto," Cole said, his tone a little faint for how excited it was. Jay and Zane shared his relief in the subject change.

"You might very well be the first to run a Singe." Zane added.

"And now that we know that Kendamas are Shauto, too, we might even unlock our own powers—ones we didn't know we had," Jay said.

There were resounding snickers following his words. "Kamehamehas," Lloyd said, "but yeah."

* * *

Down, Garage

3:30 PM

* * *

The sound of Azamat's guitar jerked December out of Starfarer, and the comic book practically flew across the room.

"Hey, December," Azamat said. He took his time descending the steps that led down into the huge Garage. He plucked chords absently on the acoustic guitar strapped to his back as he approached her. "What are you doing?"

"Uh, what are _you_ doing?" she responded, then moaned inwardly. _Nice, December. A dead giveaway._

Azamat regarded her. "I'm asking what _you're_ doing," he said, allowing a thin, almost accusatory smile to stretch his worn face.

December sighed. "Theoretically, I'm going through those old files on Hokori Wyche and his army and their family history and stuff. Oh, and the criminal records."

"You know, theoretically," Azamat agreed. "They've got nothing on Starfarer, huh?"

December gritted her teeth. "You saw that?"

"Yup. _Episode eighteen, Relief of the Imperial Slap_, I believe was the title."

He got an annoyed glare for his tease. "_Revenge of the Imperial Sludge_," December corrected, as she crawled over to where she had chucked the comic like a frisbee. "It's the latest issue, one of the first copies. It would have been _the_ first, had Gahiji not held me up." Her expression puckered. "You wouldn't _believe_ all the things he said about the main character—I just had to defend the Prince."

"Oh, trust me," Azamat said, "I know _aaaaaalll_ about Gahiji's relationship with Prince Digging-en."

"Prince Donnigan."

"Donnigan, Shmonnigan. Whatever his name is." Azamat snorted, leaning over his guitar to view his fingers as he played.

December watched him from where she sat in the middle of the stone floor. His fingers traveled over the neck of the guitar like clockwork, with an intimacy that rang clear in the notes he played. December didn't recognize the tune, but knew if she asked about it, Azamat would shrug and say, "I'm just messing around".

She finally turned back to her comic book. "I thought you were supposed to be running a Singe."

"Gahiji and London are gone, so I came to get you," Azamat said. "I need someone to monitor my patrol, after all."

"Uh-huh. Why did you bring your guitar, then?"

"I... well..." Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his neck, the guitar's clean-cut voice fading into a discordant ring of open strings. "You'd laugh if I told you why," he said.

"I wouldn't," December said, turning from her comic book to him. She must have looked a little eager, because Azamat tilted his head and laughed a little.

He rested his hands on the body of his guitar. "I didn't really come to get you," he admitted. "I thought I'd be alone in here. There's just something about this big stone room, when I play. I like the reverberation in here. It's almost like I'm up on stage."

December laughed.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!" Azamat exclaimed, hurt. "It feels like I'm in the Silvernote Stadium in NinjaGo City, up there with my buddies Chase and Richard... the crowd cheering us on..."

December covered her mouth as she giggled. "Sorry," she said. "It is a _little_ funny, though."

Azamat scowled, then rolled his eyes. "Sure, it is weird. But I like it. It gives me a rush."

"I wonder if you'd get the same rush you would if you were running your Singe and fighting Whisperers, like you're supposed to be doing," December said sarcastically.

"It's a different kind of thrill than that." Azamat spread his arms wide and took a deep breath. "The fun I'd have up there, December! When I perform, I have this... connection, with the others. I'm dead positive that music is Shauto."

December shook her head and flipped through the thin pages of her comic book. "For you, maybe," she said. "Being on stage never really appealed to me when I went to school."

"School? No, I don't play in schools," Azamat explained. "We just play for the crowd Richard and I round up to watch us. I've never actually played up on stage before." He sighed, dreamily strumming the D chord. "What I wouldn't give to, though."

"Well, maybe in a couple years," December said, "you'll be the new... uh... hard metal legend."

"It's alt rock, December, and it's not all I listen to," Azamat said hotly, switching chords.

"Well, metal is not a bad thing," December said.

"I know it's not, and I listen to it sometimes. I'm just sick of people calling what's on my playlist _metal_ when it's _alternative rock._"

"Alternative, Shmalternative. At least, I think that's what you said," December said dryly.

Azamat responded with a smile as dusty as her tone. "Ha, ha," he said.

December shrugged. "My point is, after this is all over you can pursue your music as a real career. We'd all come to all your concerts—or at least _I'll_ come—and you'd be all famous and stuff. You're seriously good, Azamat, you could make a mint off your talent."

"Thanks," Azamat said, "but what do you mean by 'this'?"

A pause. December gave him an inquisitive look.

"You said, 'after this is all over'." Azamat's hands stilled, making the music stop almost abruptly. It made their echoing voices stand out.

"You know. _All_ of it," December said. "Whisperers, patrols, Shauto, Hidoi... I mean, it can't last forever."

There was a silence. A heavy dread settled in the bottom of her stomach when December realized how shallow her words had been. Sure, it couldn't last forever. But how long _would_ it last? How long until they beat the Hidein, or the Hidein beat them? She regretted saying it now.

Especially when they knew that there was a chance they might not even live to see the next day.

December cleared her throat. "Do you want me to monitor your patrol?" she asked at last, if only to break the troubled quiet.

"I... well, I figured..." Azamat averted December's gaze. "Maybe I should stay. You know, just in case there's an emergency—it'd just be you and Dr. Julien. Well, I guess the Ninja, too...but they're not experienced in Shauto. I could be on hand in case of an emergency."

It was a lame excuse, and they both knew it.

December looked her friend over—his drained features, his tired eyes, and his longing fingers brushing the strings of his guitar.

A couple years ago, there wasn't a minute he didn't go without that old rosewood instrument in his hands. It supposedly helped him get through his therapy, providing something to do when he felt overwhelmed or angry. He got good, fast, as he discovered that his genius lay in his music.

And he still pulled it out practically every day—not so often in front of the others anymore, but often enough that his reliance on the thing was obvious.

"And I should stay, to keep an eye on my sister," he continued, with a note of frantic guilt in his tone. "She could wake up at any time, and I want to be here to take care of her"

"Why are you defending yourself to me?" December cut in. "You know it's really Gahiji you have to answer to."

Azamat nodded. "I know," he said.

December smiled at him. "I'll take your patrol."

"But who will monitor you?" he asked.

"I'll be fine. I can take care of myself—and if things get sticky, the others are just a teleport away," she replied. She got to her feet and stretched. "You just do your thing," she said. "You need a break—to recharge, or get a rush or whatever."

Azamat exhaled in relief. "Thanks, December," he said. Then his brow scrunched. "Uh, but what about your comic book? Didn't you want to finish that?"

"Oh, the latest issue?" December waved dismissively. "I've had it for a couple days. I've already read it a lot."

Azamat chuckled. "I guess that makes sense."

December's grin widened. "Don't feel guilty," she said, as she walked past him out the door. "You need your cult rock break."

"It's _alt _rock, December," Azamat called after her, as she climbed the short flight of steps up to the door tothe rest of Down. There was laughter in his voice. "_Alternative rock_!"

"Whatever," December replied over her shoulder, and shut the door.


	28. Ain't Never Going Straight

Ain't Never Going Straight

* * *

Outside Scrap and Junk

Noon

* * *

The wind was hot, and the sun blazed brightly down on the group outside the Junkyard.

"Woah, wait a second. We're going to go _looking_ for the Hidein?" Garmadon's tone matched the others' incredulous reactions to the idea.

Ed and Edna both nodded. "I know it doesn't seem like a very sensible thing to do," Ed said, "but considering our other option, we might as well try it out."

"What's our other option?" Nya asked.

"Do nothing and leave our loved ones at the Hidein's mercy," Edna said flatly.

Sensei Wu had to admit that going after the Hidein was probably the better of the two options; or at least, the option with the chance of a positive outcome. Of course none of them knew if the Ninja were being held captive by the Hidein, but what else were they to expect? What else could have happened to them? It seemed no coincidence to any of them that the Ninja had disappeared the day before the others had been sabotaged and attacked by these Whisperers.

He glanced to his brother. Garmadon's jaw was tight, and his fists clenched. Wu knew exactly how he felt—the idea of doing something like this went so far against Garmadon's nature, Wu was impressed that his brother hadn't completely snapped. Nya and Misako looked equally as worried as Garmadon, constantly exchanging looks with each other.

But the more he got to know the Walkers, the more confident Wu felt. Jay's parents knew what they were doing, knew the risks, and knew how to proceed. They knew it so well that, despite their scattered dispositions, Wu found himself trusting that they at least had a small chance of surviving this fiasco. He and his Ninja had been in tighter situations, after all.

… Okay, they hadn't. But for the sheer impossibility of the situation, Sensei Wu found himself fairly calm. He didn't know if he was just naive or if he really was this untroubled by it all. Perhaps it had to do with his old age. Not much excited him anymore.

"The odds are ridiculous," Garmadon muttered. He sounded as if he was scolding himself. "There's no way that we could make it out alive."

"We don't have a choice," Ed said. He and Edna were strapping some sort of mechanized pack to their backs, buckling it three times and tying the last strap together in triple knots. "I mean, really—let's count. London's husband, our son, all the rest of the ninja… Who's to say that there won't be civilians next?"

"So what do you think their goal is?" Misako asked.

"Realistically," Edna said, tightening the knot around her waist, "I think their goal is world domination."

"But what does capturing the Samurai have to do with world domination?"

"That's a good question, one that we'll find the answer to shortly."

Sensei Wu spoke just as the wind picked up. "Where do we start looking for the Hidein?" he said, blinking sand out of his eyes.

They all coughed for a moment as sand blew into their faces.

"I'd say—" Ed began, then coughed harder. "I'd say we should go back to the Pizzeria and investigate there. Eboni might have left behind a clue as to where she and her father are hiding."

"She might even still be there," Garmadon said dryly. "Wouldn't that be a great clue?"

Ed and Edna both frowned. "We'll do the best that we can with the things that we got," they said in unison.

Sensei Wu smiled grimly. The two Walkers had finished adjusting their packs, and stood up straight. Edna was rummaging through her pockets.

"Let's see, we have peppermint, markers, stones, a teleportation coin we can try to figure out how to use if things get messy…" She sorted through her inventory, frowning. "What am I missing?"

"Bandages, sugar plum," Ed said. "Also, a wrench. We might need a wrench."

"Got it." Edna turned from her pockets to the trailer and started heading back. "I'll only take half a moment!" she called over her shoulder.

Garmadon rubbed his eyes to clear them of sand, groaning. "We're actually going to do this," he murmured. "We're actually going to fling ourselves towards the danger."

"We've done it many times before, brother," Wu said. "What makes this time any different?"

Garmadon's hands travelled up and down his arms for a moment.

"I guess I'd like to know exactly what we're dealing with," he said quietly. Wu had to strain to hear him over the howling wind. "I guess I'd like to know if Lloyd's safe, and if we even stand a chance against these Whisperers. But the only way to find out is to jump headfirst into this mess, and I don't think I'm quite ready to do that."

Wu blinked, surprised. There was a windy pause, where Nya clambered into her Samurai X suit and Misako attempted to hoist herself up on it as well.

Then Wu smiled sadly. He placed his hand on Garmadon's shoulder.

"I'm scared too, Gom," he said.

Garmadon opened his mouth, probably to protest against the suggestion that _he_ was afraid, but Wu continued before he could do so. "But we have to find the Ninja. NinjaGo is in danger, brother. We need your help."

"I didn't say I wasn't going to help," Garmadon snapped.

He turned from Wu and shuffled to the Samurai X. "Guess we're gearing up to go, then. Let's just do it. I'm a big whiner."

Wu shook his head and chuckled softly. He watched Garmadon scramble up the enormous body of the Samurai X suit, shoes scraping over the slick metal surfaces until they caught the joints of the mech and he was able to climb up onto its shoulder.

"I'm ready to go," Nya said, her voice filtering mechanically through her samurai helmet. She sat in her mech's cockpit, flicking switches. "Hey, Garmadon and Misako, give me a second… I'm going to turn the shoulders into seats for you guys."

At this, Garmadon scoffed. "After all the work I did to get up here?"

"Just scoot over onto the arm." Nya pulled a lever, and both arms suddenly shot up into the air. Garmadon and Misako shuffled carefully onto them. With another flick of a switch, the shoulder pads on the Samurai X suit flipped upside down, creating scooped metal shapes that was almost identical to seats.

"We didn't have _that_ the last time we rode on this," Garmadon muttered, but he slid into the seat.

"It only just occurred to me," Nya said defensively. "Here's some goggles for you." She tossed them his direction, and he snatched it out of the air.

Garmadon put them on and huffed.

"Oh, hush, Gom. At least you have a seat _now_," Misako said, sliding her own pair of goggles and a mask over her face. She leaned over her own seat and grinned at him—he only crossed his arms over his chest and scowled.

Sensei Wu smiled too, then realized that there was no room for him on the mech.

"Oh, dear," Ed said, coming to stand beside him. He frowned and looked the Sensei up and down. "We need a way to get you transported, huh? It's too bad that the old Jalopy is still out of commission… Hey, do you want a jetpack like mine?"

Sensei Wu eyed the pack. "So that's what it is," he said.

"It's real easy to use. See, here, this button is thrust, and this is emergency power. You can steer by leaning."

"I don't know if that's entirely safe…"

"Oh, it's perfectly fine. I designed it myself." Ed got to work unstrapping himself.

Wu grimaced. "I know. That's why it's not entirely safe."

"Here you are," Ed said, hefting the jetpack off his shoulders; oblivious to the Sensei's comment. "I'll help you get it on."

"But—what about you?" Wu stuttered. "You won't be able to come, and we need Shautei more than we need me. You can have your jetpack back, I'll just stay—"

"Nonsense! There's an extra one back at the trailer."

Sensei Wu grudgingly slipped his arms through the holes in the sides of the pack. The thrust buttons rested comfortably in his closed hand—Wu didn't want to imagine what would happen if he lost the controls in mid-flight. Nervously, he helped Ed buckle the straps.

Wu cleared his throat. "Ed, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Ask away, Sensei!" Ed seemed very pleased by the rhyme.

"It was just concerning Hidein… You mentioned before that when one became a Hidein, one couldn't turn back to the right path?"

"Oh, that's for certain, Sensei. Hidoi corrupts you worse than anything."

"But, say one could. Say one really wanted to change, and to become… good, again."

Ed glanced at him. His mouth was turned down, his eyes grimly confused. Then he said, "Sensei, ain't _no_ Hidein ever gone straight. Not now, not before now, not _ever_. Hidoi gets down deep, invades your core and your bones. Even if one could be temporarily removed from that power, it'd take them over again eventually. Trust me—no Hidein ain't ever going straight anytime soon."

Then he smiled. "Why ever would you want ta know?"

Wu shook his head, lost in thought. There was a pause before he answered.

"I was just thinking… if there were ever limits to what we could do to keep NinjaGo safe. If it came to a situation like that… would we be justified in…?"

Ed's expression darkened. They stared at each other for a moment, the disturbing thought making them both grimace.

Then they were both startled out of their thoughts when Edna called to her husband from the trailer.

"Dear!" she shouted. "I can't find your wrench!"

"My toolbox is just on the kitchen counter!" Ed hollered back. "Grab the small one as well as the big one, will you, sugar?"

Edna disappeared back into the trailer.

"Are we about ready to head?" Nya asked, then saw the large pack on her Sensei's back. "Woah, Sensei," she said. "You're gonna take the jetpack?"

Sensei Wu swallowed. "Apparently so," he said. Ed tied the last strap into a triple knot.

"Here's your goggles and mask," Ed said, and handed them to Wu, who quickly covered his stinging face. Sand was still whipping them in the face with the harsh winds.

Ed beamed at the old man. "You'll like flying her, Sensei. I promise you will. Just don't crash into anything and you'll be set!"

Garmadon and Misako both looked amused as Wu experimentally squeezed the thrust button, then nearly fell over from the sudden burst of energy. Wu coughed as sand blew up in his face.

Edna returned from the trailer, hefting a large wrench and a small one. "Here you are, dear," she said.

Ed took the large one. "Thanks. I'm going to be right back, I need that extra jetpack."

"Alright."

As Ed headed the direction that his wife had come from, Edna placed her hands on her hips and looked them all over.

"I guess we're doing this," she said at last, voice muffled in her mask.

No one spoke. The hot, howling wind screamed at them and whipped sand in their faces. Edna scoffed.

"As soon as Ed gets back, we should get going," she said. "I don't think I'll be able to stand all this sand for much longer. Is everyone ready to kick some Hidein butt?"

Sensei Wu gave a small chuckle that nobody heard, not even himself over the wind.

He was ready… ready as he'd ever be.

* * *

Down, Hallway

4:12

* * *

Cole knocked tentatively on the door of room eight. "Kai?" he said, bringing his ear to the door. He opened it a crack. "You awake, Kai?"

Lloyd, Jay and Zane all exchanged worried glances as Cole peered into the room.

It was dark, but Cole could clearly see Kai sitting upright on the bed. The light from the hallway poured in on his face, and he shrank back slightly.

"Hey," Cole said, relieved. He let the door open on its own. "You, uh, ready for the next Takigyo session?"

Kai gave a small, slow nod.

"Come on, then," Cole said, when Kai didn't move. The Master of Fire stood up, then stumbled the distance from the bed to the door. Cole quickly leaned forward and caught him.

"Woah," Jay said as Cole helped Kai stand up straight. "You alright?"

Another nod.

Cole pursed his lips as he looked his teammate over. It was still so off-putting to see Kai without his usual fluffy hairstyle. Instead, it curled around his face and shoulders in wavy lengths. It looked good, of course, but different.

Cole strained a smile. "Still a little out of it, arentcha?" he said as they started down the hall. Kai nodded again, with a smile that matched Cole's.

"Don't worry," Zane said, "you will feel better after a session of Takigyo."

Lloyd gave an impatient, short exhale. "Can we keep talking?" he said after a moment. "I still don't know who or what Krovimastaa is, and you all seem to. Can't you tell me?"

Cole sighed inwardly. The subject change wasn't exactly welcome. "Yes," he said at last. "But just for clarification—you've _never_ heard of him?"

Lloyd shook his head. "I mean, I guess I've heard the name thrown around once or twice, but no, not really. I take it he's some kind of a criminal?"

A chorus of grim chuckles. Jay turned to face Lloyd. "Greenbean," he said, "that man was much more than a criminal."

"Well, what was he, then?"

Jay fell silent as they stopped outside of the Takigyo Garden.

"I don't think _I_ can explain," Zane said, "if you were hoping I would."

"Well _someone_ has to," Jay said. "And I don't know half as much as you do, Cole—I mean, you lived in NinjaGo City when it happened, right? Just a city over from Adolfjin."

"I did, but—" Cole swallowed. Zane, Jay, Lloyd and Kai all gazed at him.

Cole bit his lip. _Someone has to explain it,_ he thought at last, and they're right. _I probably do know the most_. Then his eyes met Kai's.

_I can't do it here_, he realized, as Kai's amber gaze jumped nervously away. _Not with Kai listening. He's still too unstable—I could rile him up._

"Alright, Lloyd," he said at last. He clapped the Green Ninja on the shoulder. "I'll explain after training, how about."

Kai opened the door to the Takigyo Garden and went to go inside, but froze halfway through the door. The others looked at him, surprised.

"Kai, what's the matter?" Cole said.

"N-nothing," Kai said. He sounded alarmed, but he forced himself to venture further in.

This, of course, made everyone look inside—and they saw the source of Kai's hesitation.

Gahiji climbed out of the Takigyo pool, drenched from head to toe. He pushed his hair from his eyes and headed promptly to the towel rack next to the water, rubbing his wrists.

_What's Gahiji doing in the Takigyo Garden...?_ Cole thought.

Obviously, he was there for the same treatment as Kai.

His shirt had been removed, revealing the most hypnotizing array of tattoos that Cole had ever seen. His arms, back, and chest were nothing but mesmerizing patterns. The Shauto connection Rivers that ran up and down the length of him were a rainbow of greens, seeming almost to be alive as they snaked over every inch of skin on his left side.

"Woah," Jay breathed in Cole's ear. Cole had to agree. It was a spectacular arrangement of color on Gahiji's brown skin.

Until Gahiji turned, and a chill ran down Cole's spine. The other side of his tattoos — his right side — was inked in black.

Hidoi.

The black symbols jerked around each other violently, sharp and clear-cut, a stark contrast to the flowing parameters of Shauto. Thin lines weaved in and out of each other, but still twisted in a way that Cole could identify as a magic system.

There were… Cole squinted. _Connection Rivers? _

Gahiji wrapped a white towel around his shoulders before they could see much more. He hardly paid Kai nor any of the Ninja attention as he walked out of the Takigyo Garden. The only heed he gave them was a short nod in Cole's direction, before he strode right past them and down the hallway.

The towel over his back masked most of the Hidoi, but on his calf and ankle they could see telltale black markings wrapping around his leg until it reached the edge of his swim trunks.

Gahiji shut his bedroom door. There was a silence. No one dared speak, or even look at each other.

Then Jay said, quietly, almost reverently, "Did you guys see that?"

"Yeah," Lloyd said. "Azamat wasn't kidding when he said Gahiji's tattoos were amazing."

"But I get the feeling that not all of those markings were Shauto," Zane said.

"Obviously, Hidoi used to be a big part of him," Cole said. "Enough that he got it permanently inked onto his skin into a huge tattoo like that."

He paused, and they all gazed solemnly at each other. Kai still stood in the doorway of the garden, not speaking, but eyes flitting between Cole, Jay, Lloyd and Zane carefully.

"I can't believe we're working with him," Jay said finally. "I can't believe we're entrusting so much to one of these Hidein that everyone says is so bad."

"He said he's changed," Zane said.

"So he says," Jay objected.

"He knows Shauto, and he's risked his life for all of us already," Lloyd said.

Jay held up his hands. "All I'm saying is that he's a murderer. How do we know we can trust him with our lives—or anything else, for that matter?"

This earned a silence from his teammates. Conflicting thoughts cluttered Cole's mind for a moment. Then he said, "Mom trusts him with hers."

Zane, Kai and Lloyd all nodded. Jay still looked skeptical.

"There's no way she could completely trust him," he said. "I mean, you heard him. He said it himself. He was an _assassin_. He specialized in killing people."

Zane spoke. "That is true," he said, "but if you haven't noticed, he also specializes in saving people."

Zane's point was not lost on Jay, because he shut his mouth and said no more about it.

* * *

Down, Room 6

5:39 AM

* * *

Amilia's head hurt.

Pain ebbed and flowed through her skull, like her brain was bruised, burning with a thick numbing agony. But it couldn't be a physical injury—someone would have Healed her by now.

Amilia opened her eyes. Her covers were drawn over her, and the ceiling of her bedroom was dark. A small, pulsing pain, less noticeable than her head's intense ache, told her that an IV was inserted in her arm. Probably to keep her hydrated.

_To keep me hydrated...?_ How long had she been out?

Reading her alarm clock required daring to sit up, which she barely managed. Her head pounded—every part of her seemed to ache unendingly.

It was five-forty in the morning. Across her in the other bed snored her twin brother, one hand dangling over the side of the bed. His guitar was still in his arms; he must have fallen asleep playing it.

Amilia didn't remember him coming into the room... she didn't remember much of anything.

Her vision swam. She caught her head in her hand and gave a soft groan.

_I must have done something to have earned me this pain,_ she thought, then clenched her teeth as a wave of pounding agony washed over her. _Perhaps I hit my head... the latter would explain why I can't remember anything. _

She gave another constricted moan, which served as Azamat's rude awakening. He opened his eyes, sat bolt upright, and accidentally strummed several strings on his guitar. A discordant ring filled the air, making Amilia groan louder.

"A-Amilia!" Azamat exclaimed. "You're awake!"

Amilia clenched her hand over her eye. It hurt so bad she could hear her heart pounding over Azamat's guitar echoing in her ears.

Azamat dampened the strings and left the guitar on the bed, rushing to her. "What's wrong?" he asked, catching her lightly by the elbows to keep her steady. Amilia realized she must have been swaying, because she suddenly felt much more grounded.

"My head," she croaked.

Azamat pushed her backwards until her pounding head hit the pillow. She kept her eyes screwed shut, stifling whimpers as her brother said, "Don't worry. Just rest for a moment, alright?"

He set to work removing the IV as Amilia's mind raced. _I must have gone on a patrol. What else could explain it? Did I sustain a head wound, and it didn't fully Heal? It's definitely agonizing enough to be an incomplete Healing._

Azamat gently pulled out the catheter and placed a cotton swab over the injection site. "Where's the headache?" he asked after murmuring instructions for her to keep the cotton over the vein.

"Behind my eyes," Amilia whispered, pressing the swab against her arm while Azamat opened their dresser drawer to pull out a band-aid.

"Do you hurt anywhere else?"

"My neck hurts when I move it, as does my chest... but there's a slight ache everywhere."

Azamat _mmm_ed. He returned and removed the swab, replacing it with the band-aid and pushing the IV pole aside. He put his hand on her back, lending Amilia the support she didn't know she needed until now. "Can you get out of bed?"

"I don't know," Amilia croaked truthfully.

"We'd better not, then."

Amilia shook her head. "No, I want to."

Azamat's double take made Amilia grit her teeth. "Are you sure?" he said. She nodded, and Azamat hesitantly held out his hand.

Amilia took a deep breath and held it. She grasped Azamat's hand, and he pulled the covers gently away from her as she stood, gripping his wrist tighter and tighter.

"Woah, woah," Azamat said. He pulled her to a standing position. "Careful. Maybe you should lie back down—"

"N-no," Amilia said. "I can stand. Look."

She straightened her legs. Her vision swirled, and she collapsed with a yelp, knocking the IV pole as she went down. Before she hit the floor she was swept up into her brother's arms. Azamat grunted, then caught the IV pole before it could fall over onto the bed.

"_No_, you can't," he huffed after a moment.

"You're right," Amilia admitted, and her hand returned to her eyes. "Oh, Azzy, I don't feel good. Did I sustain a head injury?"

Azamat didn't answer for a moment. Amilia opened her eyes a slit to see his sheepish expression.

"... Not exactly," he said.

He set her back down on the bed. Amilia flopped over, too weak to do much else.

"Gahiji's gonna come in here to look at you, alright?" Azamat said. Amilia watched her brother's face as he draped the blanket over her. Worried streaks creased his pale forehead.

"Why?" she asked.

"You don't remember—?" Azamat cut himself off. Then he said, "Sorry, you just… something might have happened to you back there."

"Back where? The patrol?" Amilia propped herself up on her elbows.

"Y-yeah. You remember that?"

"No. I only remember Gahiji chewing you out over the wrist communicator and a little bit after that. What happened?"

Azamat opened his mouth, then closed it.

"Gahiji will explain," he said quickly.

He turned to leave, but Amilia grabbed his wrist. Another shock of pain swept over her, and she clenched her jaw.

"Azamat," she murmured, "I'm in pain. I want to know why this hurts so much. If you know what happened, please tell me."

Azamat's features melted. He slid Amilia's hand off of his wrist, and sat down on the bed next to her with a deep sigh.

"Amilia, I… You were attacked. He used Hidoi to do something to your body, and then he…" Azamat struggled. The hand that clasped hers was clammy. "Y-your body sort of freaked out. You spasmed and had several grand mal seizures for twenty minutes, lost a lot of blood, and now you're… here."

Amilia swallowed, her dry throat catching. "I—_Gahiji_—?"

"No!" Azamat looked horrified. "No, not Gahiji. It was Hokori that did it."

"Hokori…? Hokori Wyche, do you mean?" Amilia froze as pain blazed in her head. "Krovimastaa's sensei?"

"Yeah."

"_He_ was one of the Hidein in that clearing?"

"Yeeeah." Azamat scratched the back of his head.

"And he —?" Amilia grasped the blanket tighter as dread filled her mouth with a terrible taste. "He —?"

Azamat shook his head. "I don't think he was just trying to touch you, Amilia, I think he's hurt you deeper than that. Gahiji says that there's somehow Hidoi involved in what he did."

"What did he do?"

"I don't know, it all looked so violent. He… whatever damage he did, it's been Healed, but he… he hurt you real bad."

"So he might have… I might have been…?"

"Gahiji's the expert, and he doesn't know exactly what happened. That's why he needs to examine you." Azamat stood. "I'm going to go find him, alright? Is that okay?"

Amilia shook her head. "Azzy, I… but…"

"Let go of my hand, Amilia," Azamat said softly, laying his hand over top of hers to try and pry it away.

Amilia's mind raced, but she clutched his hand tighter. _But Azamat, I don't understand, _she thought, wishing she could find her voice to say it. _I heard exactly what you said, but I don't understand any of it! I'm in too much pain to think straight, I need a moment to figure it out…_ Another jolt of pain, and all her thoughts were drowned out.

"Hey, sis."

Azamat knelt down beside her. The ache ebbed enough for her to hear him whisper in her ear.

"I know you're in pain. I know it hurts." He held her forearms gently as he spoke, touching his hand to the back of her head. "I know exactly how afraid you are."

The words were like novocaine. _Azzy knows,_ Amilia realized. _He went through worse than this when he lost himself in Shauto. He went through much worse… _The realization left her with a sensation that felt hot and numb at the same time.

"Sit tight. We're gonna figure it out, alright?"

Amilia felt him smile on her ear before he drew back. His fingers slipped out of hers, leaving her hand feeling cold and her mind torn.

It was too late as he left the room, and she laid back, clutching her blanket with shaking hands and an aching, confused heart.

_It's so confusing_, she thought. _It's so hard. What's happened to me? What could be so serious that Gahiji has to look at me — that even _he_ doesn't know what Hokori did to me? I'm so… I'm so overwhelmed. _

Her eyes stung with tears, and she pulled her blanket up to her neck.

_It hurts,_ she thought, choking on a sob.

_It hurts._


	29. Weapons

Weapons

* * *

The Compound

4:03 AM

* * *

"I know you can hear me, Brookstone."

The Hidein reached out, pressing his fingers roughly to Lou's cheek. "Get up."

Lou sunk a little bit farther into his pretended unconsciousness, but he set his teeth against the Hidein's touch. He sat on the floor, his arms hanging limply from the chains shackling him to the wall. Grit and oil from the floor of the _Bounty's_ engine room stained his white button-up shirt.

Soren stood to the side of the proceedings, his arms crossed over his chest. Zakhar, Soren's eldest apprentice, was crouched down interrogating the new prisoner. Soren's presence was mandatory. Shame. Soren would kill to pass out cold on his bed three floors above this one.

The only light in the cell came from the lamp hanging from a hook in the corner by the door, and even _that_ light was grim and bleak. Enough to see just how dirty the stone room was—not enough to pretend it wasn't. Soren rubbed his arms.

Zakhar tilted Lou's face, lifting his jaw with gloved fingers. "How did you find out about us?" he said softly. His pale yellow eyes glinted, grave features made even more serious by the black eyeliner thickly administered beneath his eyes.

Lou didn't answer. Only at Soren would he gaze, an intense, burning stare that Soren chose to ignore.

"Answer me, Brookstone," Zakhar said. Then he growled. "At least _look_ at me."

He received no reply, and his hand dropped from Lou's chin. As Lou exhaled with relief, the Hidein removed a knife from his belt, stroking the flat of the blade with his thumb for a brief instant.

Without hesitating, he ran the dagger across Lou's neck.

Lou cried out and started. Zakhar's hand went to the man's face, keeping him pinned against the wall and his collar exposed. It hadn't been a deep cut, but the blade had gone far enough to draw blood - it welled, crimson, in the curved incision. Zakhar continued to etch a symbol into Lou's skin, licking lips that curled with a half-smile, Lou gritting his teeth against whimpers.

Soren gave a silent yawn.

"Now, Brookstone," Zakhar said. He rested his fingers on the bleeding symbol. A violet glow emanated in strips down the length of his arm—Hidoi embroidered on his sleeve responded to him, making the red design on Lou's neck glow a painful mauve. Lou relaxed involuntarily, and Zakhar's half-smile widened. "Tell me. How did you, the unimportant bystander, figure us out?"

The glare from the Hidoi spread, tendrils of light coiling greedily around Lou's face. Lou struggled against it. Sweat dripped down his chin, Hidoi embracing him like the searching tentacles of an octopus.

Soren didn't think much of it._ They all put up a bit of a fight._ Lou would crack any moment. In the meantime, Soren's hands were freezing. He slipped them beneath his long fur-lined coat, wringing them in an attempt to warm up.

"Brookstone," Zakhar said impatiently.

Lou choked.

"How do you know?" Zakhar demanded, and the sound of chains rattling told Soren that he was shaking the prisoner. Lou coughed. "_How do you know?_"

Soren finally looked up at the note of frustration in his student's voice.

Tears wetted Lou's eyelashes. Dark blood streamed not only from his collarbone, but from his parted lips as he shuddered and wheezed for breath. Zakhar gripped the base of Lou's neck, his hands shaking with the effort of channeling the Hidoi into Lou's mind, as the Hidoi itself shrank and suffocated under Zakhar's hold.

"That's enough," Soren said sharply.

Zakhar stood up; Lou gasped and fell back against the wall, trembling and weeping silently in pain.

Soren looked first to Zakhar's resenting expression, then to Lou, crumpled against the effort of battling the Hidoi. _He's strong,_ Soren thought, surprised. _It takes a stubborn soul to fight Hidoi like that. No one has ever done that before. No one except... _

_Except Krovimastaa. _

_Dear me, wouldn't it be handy if... now I wonder. _

Soren stepped forward, softly resting his hand against Zakhar's chest in approval. His student stepped back respectfully. Soren turned to Lou, his cloak swishing softly over Lou's legs.

He crouched down next to him. "Lou," he began in a gentle tone. It was false, of course. The tone he often took with Eboni, one so convincing that Lou's eyebrows raised despite his pain. _First Spinjitzu _Master_, I love my acting skills, _Soren reflected_. _"Tell me, are you afraid?"

Lou didn't look at him.

"The world is going to end." Soren regarded Lou with a mild-to-near-masked sympathy. "And you know it, too, don't you? That's why you went to the Ninja. You knew that the day of demise was drawing nearer, and you had to find a way to stop it."

He frowned. "I know you care for them. And you meant well. But the truth is, our people, though so much more prosperous than any since the First Spinjitzu Master created this earth, are dying. All things must end, Lou, and you live in a day and age where it will."

Lou lifted his eyes. His coffee-colored gaze met Soren's own, his lips pulled tight, quivering with the lingering agony of the Hidoi pressing against his will.

Zakhar was silent, but Soren knew his student was desperately confused. He himself never would have considered that he would be trying this again, so soon, but the possibility itched at him like cattail fluff beneath his shirt. _Maybe... just maybe... _

"It is not a thing you can stop," Soren continued. "The end is not an enemy you can fight. It is not a choice someone else has made, cannot change its mind. It is not something you can save people from.

"The end simply _is_. Solid and unmovable—neither you nor I can keep it from coming. Believe me, I would if I could." Soren's eyes narrowed with this last statement. "The end is coming, and we cannot stop it."

Lou choked. He broke away from Soren's serious gaze, tears streaking down his blood-stained face, convulsing with his crying.

Soren put his hand on Lou's shoulder, head bowed. Zakhar suddenly realized Soren's deception, and scoffed—he managed to pass it off as a regretful cough.

"I know," Soren whispered. Lou's frightened sobs shook beneath his hand. "You see, Lou, there was nothing you could have done for them... I feel it too. I feel the pain, the sorrow, the hopelessness."

_If only I did_. He shook himself.

"This pain is what the Ninja would feel, if you had told them. This dread that we have now is what your _son_ would have. I know that's not what you want for him."

Lou attempted to stifle his tears, but he was crying too hard to stop. Soren lifted his hand from the man's shoulder and said, "Isn't it better that they face the end without this pain? Isn't it better for the end to come silently for them, without the fear of it?

"We've saved them from that. We're here to keep you safe, Lou, and to offer you a chance."

He reached out and tipped Lou's chin up, revealing the man's tear-stained face. Soren forced a promising smile. "We're working not to _stop_ the end, but to _escape_ it."

Lou didn't respond. _So silent,_ Soren thought. _Just like Krovimastaa. _

"We can offer you a chance to escape, with us," he said. "This power we have... it is the only thing that can keep us from meeting that fate. We can teach it to you. You can rise with us, out of harm's way."

"N-never."

Soren stopped. Lou's jaw was tight and his eyes defiant.

"You're Hidein," he said, "all of you. You're filthy, selfish, sadistic killers—I'll never join you."

There was a silence.

"An insult," Soren mumbled. His brow pressed down, hurt, on his eyes, which searched the soles of Lou's shoes. "Filthy...? You think us so?"

"I'm not stupid," Lou said. "Whatever he did to me—" he nodded shortly to Zakhar "—was not something I ever want to learn. It's twisted. It's _vile_."

"Vile?" Soren resisted the urge to grin, keeping the mask of sadness over his features, but it was difficult. "I'm hurt." _I wonder... _

"_We are not noble, Soren," Povelitel whispered. _

"The title of Hidein is noble," Soren said, standing. "You do us injustice with your claims. We are disciplined; we waste no time with the comforts of the world. How else are we going to escape the end?"

Lou gritted his teeth. "You're _terrible_."

Soren sighed. "To some," he said quietly._ It was worth the try. I didn't even expect it to work. But his soul... it's so persistent. What a warrior we could shape with a soul that strong. _

Then he smirked. He remembered training the first warrior—the only man to ever have come close to destroying the world. _Krovimastaa_. The sheer Hidein force Soren's former apprentice had displayed had been astonishing.

He desperately missed having such a weapon at his disposal, but not just anyone would do. Povelitel needed an unalloyed replacement—The _Samurai X_.

Soren couldn't deny his own desire for her. To have her combat training, her mind, her staggering temper, and her strength. She would be the perfect weapon, as Krovimastaa was; perhaps never as powerful, never as _truly_ immersed in Hidoi, but still capable of what Povelitel needed. To have that kind of raw power in his hands again... Soren suppressed a wistful shiver.

"The offer will remain standing for the next few days," he said. "Please. You are a good man, Lou. I would hate to see that strength and will wasted."

"And in the meantime, I stay in the cell?" Lou said with a dry smile.

Soren smiled back. "I'm afraid so."

Cole's father rested his head against the wall. "You're repulsive." He spat blood in Soren's direction.

Soren flicked his cloak smartly out of range and turned from the cell. "Come," he said to Zakhar, who cast a condescending look at Lou before taking the hanging lamp from the hook and following his sensei out of the door.

Lou spoke over the clattering of their footsteps as Zakhar went to close the cell door. "The end will come for you, too, Hokori," he said, "no matter how hard you try to escape it."

Zakhar shut the door with a final _clang_. He bolted it, then turned to Soren. "Sensei Hokori," he said softly. "What did you see in him?"

Soren gazed at him. "I suppose," he said, "I saw Krovimastaa."

"Sensei?" Zakhar's yellow eyes searched Soren's. "You think he could...?"

"No." Soren sighed. "It was foolish of me to think he might. There was just something about the way he resisted you. It must have to do with... Hmm." He switched gears. "You did well, Zakhar. There will be more visits to this cell in the future."

Zakhar nodded, still looking at Soren disbelievingly. Then he said, "It would be nice to finally call off the hunt, eh?"

"You don't know about the Samurai," Soren said quickly. Then he admitted, "But yes. It would be nice."

They started down the long corridor. Now that Soren's hands weren't quite so cold, he could ponder. His unfinished thought lingered in his mind. _It must have to do with... love. _

_I am a Fragment; I am incapable of love,_ was the impulsive thought.

Because he was _quite_ incapable of it. As a Fragment, a mere... well, _fragment_ of a person, his ability to feel anything was quite limited. What he knew, as far as emotions went, was very little. Only that they granted one certain powers.

Regrettably, Soren had never had any certain powers granted to him via emotions. He knew he never would. He brushed the notion away in order to think clearly.

Love was still the strangest thing to him. It seemed to be the strongest of all the emotions—save anger and grief, of course, but even those seemed to be affiliated closely with love. But that was all Soren could do. He could only say they "seemed".

For the second time, the word "unfair" occurred to him. The one that applied to him in every sense, the one he couldn't speak aloud for fear of being hypocritical. Of course, it _was_ unfair that he couldn't feel emotions the same as any other man—

Soren stopped himself.

He was no man. He was a Fragment. Why was he thinking about these things? Why was the taste in his mouth so bitter?

So jealous?

He swallowed hard._ I am a Fragment. I should not want these things. _

And yet, he found that he did want them. The unyielding desire made his fingers tremble where they lie underneath his coat. He shook himself again, suddenly feeling sick and cold all over again.

"Sensei?"

Soren jumped. They stood in front of the elevator, Zakhar holding the door for him. He looked at his teacher inquisitively. "Are you coming?" he asked.

Soren silently entered the elevator, and Zakhar stepped back, pushing the button to go up. His apprentice still gazed at him.

"If I may ask," he said quietly, "why do we need the Samurai?"

"You don't know about the Samurai," Soren repeated himself.

"I know, Sensei."

Soren glanced at him. Then he reached into his breast pocket, pulling out a single cigarette and his lighter.

Zakhar watched, suddenly desperate as Soren put the cigarette to his mouth, but he kept his lips pursed and his eyes on his sensei. "The girl will serve as Povelitel's sword, much the same as Krovimastaa did," Soren said.

The lighter clicked. Zakhar eyed the cigarette covetously as smoke curled around Soren's face. "But why go to the trouble training a new warrior?" he inquired. "...Especially when you have many capable ones beneath you already." His tone was low with an injured poison.

Soren relished the taste of the smoke in his mouth. It replaced the bitter, jealous taste that had been before—the taste that was evidently in Zakhar's mouth as well.

_I can sympathize with that. _

Swiftly, he drew out another cigarette and lit it. He passed it to his apprentice, and Zakhar greedily pressed it to his lips. Zakhar, too, sighed with the release from the flavor of envy.

"Patience, Zakhar," Soren said at last. "Povelitel's ways are wiser than ours. We will have our time, I have no doubt."

"Thank you, Sensei," Zakhar said.

The elevator soon became hazy with smoke.

_Povelitel's ways are wiser than ours. _Soren grimaced. _Yeah, right. If Father was so wise, why have we waited so long to finally attack the Five? Why have we waited this long to find and train a new Hidoimastaa? _

_Don't think like that. He has reasons. _

Soren blew out more blue smoke. The elevator cut into his thoughts with a sharp _ding_ as they arrived on the main floor. He and his student stepped out into the hallway.

_What reasons? _he countered himself. _Why follow him so blindly? Why trust he who denies me my own free will? _

_I don't need a free will. Povelitel created me, and he obviously knows what he's doing with this plan of his; I just need to put my faith in him. He'll get me out of this death trap. _

Soren gritted his teeth, lowering his head as his own hollow footsteps returned to him from the walls of the corridor.

_... He's the reason why I'm trapped in the first place._

* * *

Down, outside of MTR

* * *

"Krovimastaa was much more than a murderer."

Cole's face was grim. He put his hands on Lloyd's shoulders, stressing the depth of the situation. "He can't have been a—well, there's a lot of speculation about him, but I swear to the First Spinjitzu Master he can't have been human. Or if he ever was, he somehow became inhuman. There's just no way."

Their teammates glanced at them before entering the MTR, unwilling to share in the conversation. The fact that each one of them dreaded the topic too much to participate scared Lloyd more than Cole's seriousness.

"So how did he do it?" Lloyd asked. "How did he become so feared? I mean, a murderer —I know that's bad, but everyone's so... afraid, at the mention of his name."

Cole's expression struggled to stay serious, but the lilt in his frown revealed his own fear. "He was some sort of wizard. It could have been Hidoi that he used, but I don't know—nobody really knows. Some people say it was some sort of blood magic, some say he recruited shadows to aid him, and some even think he was the king of the Underworld."

"King of the Underworld?" Lloyd repeated. "Sounds like my dad."

"Garmadon? I doubt it."

Lloyd raised his eyebrows. "You sure? My pop did some pretty unsavory things."

"Yeah, I'm sure. Your father didn't even _leave_ the Underworld until two years ago, though, and Krovimastaa's reign of tyranny ended about two before that." Cole paused, then said dryly, "They might have had dealings, though. It wouldn't shock me if half Krovimastaa's loyal army originated Skulkin."

"Krovimastaa had an _army_?"

"He didn't lead it, but they backed him up."

"So he wasn't just some murderer," Lloyd said, "not to say that any murderer is 'just some murderer'." He felt a twinge of recognition. An army...? Hold on, maybe he _had_ heard of Krovimastaa. Had he? The memories were all so distant and fuzzy.

"He wrought havoc on NinjaGo. He _set the sky on fire_." Cole shook his head slowly. "Some people think he was an Elemental Master. What the heck kind of element could cause the amount of destruction he did, I don't know, but he jeopardized NinjaGo all by himself, even without Hokori Wyche's army to help."

"Hold on, I think I know who you're talking about," Lloyd said, understanding blossoming. "I do remember someone like that."

Cole sighed. "You're not a complete nutshell, then," he murmured, and Lloyd heard real relief in his exhale. "I was starting to think... people have had all sorts of encounters with Krovimastaa, and I almost wondered if..." He shook his head frantically.

Lloyd's mind raced with vague recollection of a snickering classroom and a cutting voice speaking over giggling boys—mostly he remembered the crude note scrawled over his notebook, and passing the torn page through eager hands towards the back of the room... The memory was something, at least. The cold voice talked something about blood magic, elemental masters, the destruction of two nearby settlements.

Lloyd's brow scrunched. "I... think I learned about him at Darkley's."

Cole nodded exasperatedly. "I guess he _would_ qualify as something as a role model for the students there," he muttered. "So if you learned about him, why am I explaining this to you?"

"I never paid any attention," Lloyd admitted. "The only things that I remember were what you said about blood magic and the element bit."

He got a reproachful look for his confession. "None of the others were listening, either," Lloyd said defensively.

"Yeah, well," Cole said, "I guess I still have to explain what he did."

"Nah, nah, I got the jist," Lloyd said quickly, raising his hands. "You don't have to talk if you—"

"He destroyed an entire city single-handedly."

Lloyd sputtered. "Wh—_what_?"

"You've heard of Adolfjin Lake, haven't you?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"What about Adolfjin City?"

"N-no." And Lloyd felt shock rattle him like a staff to a gong. Cole's eyes were dark, his grip on the Green Ninja's shoulders as tight as ever.

"He walked down the main road, arms spread wide, leaving a trail of destruction behind him. Then he stood above the City and watched it burn." Cole looked away. "That's how the story goes, at least."

"It's not possible," Lloyd protested. "Even _I_ don't have that kind of power—if I did, I'd never use it like that, but still! There's no way."

"How do you explain it, then?" Cole said. "There were eyewitnesses. Victims of Krovimastaa and his shadows that are still alive, Spinjitzu Master help them." He then eyed Lloyd with the use of the expression. "Ah, sorry, I guess that's a little—"

Lloyd waved it away. "It's fine. I just don't believe he could be that powerful."

"There's a lot of speculation about how he did it," Cole continued, "—how he managed to do in Adolfjin and not get caught. It probably could have been Hidoi..." Here he frowned, more from frustration than angst. "But everyone around here seems so hesitant to talk about _anything_ regarding Hidoi. We can only assume so much about it. All people know for sure was that he..."

Cole faltered. His voice shook when he said, "He was a cold-blooded killer. Everyone's lost someone to him."

Lloyd's stomach clenched. "You..." he began, reaching to put his hand on Cole's shoulder. "... you lost someone?"

"My aunt and uncle, and their kids," Cole said, words almost inaudible. "They were in Adolfjin when... when he destroyed it." He cleared his throat. "People have lost more than I have. A lot of kids have lost their parents to him, and parents, their children. Families. Friends. Krovimastaa was a plague."

Lloyd's heart beat fast, but he couldn't hear it under the roar of thoughts in his mind. A man that powerful...? It couldn't be true. That kind of power didn't exist.

Or did it? Was Hidoi that powerful? Could it have been possible that Krovimastaa was Hidein?

"Where is he now?" Lloyd said quietly.

"He disappeared the night he burned Adolfjin," Cole said. "That's why Azamat thought it might be Krovimastaa commanding the Hidein. He seemed to be in league with them before, but if what Gahiji said was true—that Hokori is the general—then we can be comforted to know that Krovimastaa hasn't returned to his master, if he is alive. No one knows where he went, if he's alive or gone somewhere. People are still scrambling to find him. NinjaGo lives in fear of him reappearing."

Lloyd nodded. Then a thought occurred to him, and without warning, his gut was wrenched violently inside of him and his heart forced into his throat. _Overlord!_ he thought with a desperate shudder. _It couldn't be! _

He leaned forward, withdrawing his hand from Cole's shoulder so the Black Ninja couldn't feel him trembling. "Have you ever seen him?" he demanded.

Cole shook his head. "Zane has," he said, also letting go of Lloyd's shoulders. He exhaled slowly and grievously. "He was one of the only survivors of a small village that Krovimastaa raided."

"But—but other people are bound to have seen him, too. We should have an idea of what he looks like?"

Cole narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at, Lloyd? Now that I've told you all this—"

"I won't go looking for him," Lloyd promised. "Just—was there anything? Defining characteristics?" Perspiration slipped down his neck; he wiped at it quickly.

Cole thought for a moment. "There's a lot of debate, but one thing everyone agrees on is that he was Amid."

"And th-the—the debate?"

"Some people think he had extra limbs. Some think he was twenty feet high. But the more common story is that his arms were—" Cole halted. His eyes went wide and his breath caught.

"H-his arms were tattooed," he said. "He bore the markings of the Underworld."

"No," Lloyd whispered. His throat tightened so fiercely that he felt it crack and stretch with the effort of murmuring that one "no".

"Spinjitzu Master," Cole swore, bringing his hand to his forehead.

"Cole, you don't think—?"

"We can only hope that he's not," the Master of Earth whispered. "But—but it would fit. He was an assassin. Hidein. He has the tattoos. He's Amid. He..."

Cole covered his mouth. "_Overlord_, it's him," he breathed.

"We don't know that!" Lloyd said, grabbing Cole. "We don't know it's him."

"Gahiji said himself," Cole croaked. "He served under Hokori Wyche—as a weapon, that's what he said. Hokori Wyche is Krovimastaa's _sensei_, Lloyd. His master."

Lloyd's breath deserted him.

"Spinjitzu Master," Cole said again. He leaned against the wall, closing his eyes, gritting his teeth. "It's him, Lloyd. Gahiji's the one who killed all those people. H-he's the one who destroyed Adolfjin."

"Don't—" Lloyd cut himself off. Hysteria gripped him, his thoughts sent spiraling downwards until he not only couldn't breathe, but couldn't think.

Krovimastaa. _Gahiji_.

Lloyd wanted to tell Cole to stop hurting, but knew it would do no good even if he could find a way to speak. Cole's internal pain was clear in the weight on his brow and the way his hands clawed the wall.

_Overlord, no. Please. _

It really was him.


	30. Secrets

Secrets

* * *

Down, Control Room

4:57 PM

* * *

Azamat had the NinjaGo City Patrol. Had he simply not checked the cycle today? It seemed strange to December that Azamat would give it up—normally he was counting down the days of the Singe cycle until it was his turn to patrol the City. He took the patrol as a rare opportunity to visit his friends in their respective environments.

December sighed. _He's worried about Amilia. There's no way that he's going to visit his friends while she's this out of it. _December was worried, too.

The thing that alarmed her most about the whole ordeal was the fact that her brother couldn't figure it out. Gahiji always figured things out, especially in his areas of expertise—Hidoi being one of them. Though he was not practicing Hidoi anymore, he should still remember _something. _It shocked her to find Gahiji so vexed by the problem.

_He'll figure it out. He had all of the time he spent with London, patching the City's Shield, to stew over it._

_Speaking of, I wonder if they're back yet?_ she thought, gazing around the Control Room. _Would they have patrolled while they were there? Would it have occurred to them? _The Shield reinstallation would probably have claimed whatever focus they had. _Any Whisperers in the City will die under the Shield once it's reinstated, anyways. _

_So... I'm off the hook, then? _

She still had to go to the City, if only to say she had done the patrol. There were no Birds to cover her, either. It would be safer to run a Whisper-free Singe than to be caught without assistance. Might as well give the place a visit.

December lifted her scarf over her face and searched her cloak pocket for the teleportation coin. Then she double checked her peppermint vials. Four of the eight shots were empty.

She sidestepped the swivel chair in front of the Control Room's screen and approached the dashboard. What looked like a cappuccino machine was installed next to the main screen; the machine was designed to both produce and dispense peppermint extract.

_I love Amilia,_ she reminisced, as she refilled the vials. The peppermint dispenser had been Amilia's idea and execution. December shook her head quickly, trying to quell the pang of despair that accompanied the thought.

_Gahiji had better figure this out. _

Checking to make sure she had everything on her belt—the Rescue Stones, the Shauto pen, and the mint candies (in case of emergency)—she instructed her coin to take her to NinjaGo City. The teleportation token whirred, and as December channeled Shauto through it, its programming and the sheer Elemental force it channeled through her dissolved her. She was then reassembled, not without the spine-tingling buzz of Shauto tickling her, in an alley.

It was honestly the safest place to teleport to. Appear anywhere else, and she'd be seen. Azamat had repeatedly pitched the idea (or complaint—depending on whether Amilia was in the room to point it out) to set up a teleporting station, perhaps in some underground cellar somewhere, but it was shot down every time, due to the Five's need for secrecy. A trivial need, but a need nonetheless. London was paranoid that if the government discovered them they would shut down the Five and everything they were doing.

They alley was a narrow corridor leading to a concrete wall between an antique shop and a pharmacy. December pulled out her Shauto pen and started drawing the See symbol in the invisible ink on the wall. No sense in putting it off. There probably wasn't even anything in the City; the second she had double-checked, just to make sure, she could head back to Down to take care of that research.

She pressed her gloved hand to the See symbol. "_Pokazhite mnye potok._"

She found herself in that snowy world of Shauto, where suddenly the people around her were orbs of swirling elements and solid objects were as transparent as the air. December exhaled, bracing herself for the change. NinjaGo City was one of the toughest to adjust to, because when she opened her eyes, with the helter-skelter scores of colored souls above, below, and beneath her, it was easy to forget that the ground existed.

December knew she was rooted to real asphalt by gravity, but still—looking down and seeing the souls meandering around in the basements of warehouses, storages, cellars, all of which were invisible except for the Ninjagians—she felt as if she was going to tumble through the clear ground to into the rest of the whiteness down there, beneath the depths of NinjaGo City.

She shivered.

She squinted in all directions for a black smudge. It still shocked her that there could have been a Whisperer in the City to ambush the Ninja in the first place, because she couldn't spot anything darker than indigo. Which, December had to admit, was pretty intriguing. What kind of element was that color? Darkness? Shadow? Grape juice? The color was probably a result of two or more elements mixed inside the soul, but she couldn't help but wonder.

It was then that she saw the black stain amidst the colors of the elements. December started when she saw it, a few buildings away from her. A cluster of shadows, writhing violently and bubbling like an overflowing pot, and on four sides of it, smaller stains. The little ones weren't quite black—gray-ish green-ish, bearing streaks of red and yellow, mixed into unsavory colors by darkness.

December's heart sank. Whisperers were one thing, but Hidein were quite another. What were they doing this far into the City, anyways? December tried to discern more—the Hideins' colors quaked with distress.

December lifted her hand from the See symbol, trying to remember exactly which building the Hidein and their pets were in. She had to blink several times to get used to the change—the world was no longer white, but was just as permeated with color. She squeezed past a trash can onto the sidewalk.

The streets were packed. Ever-squealing tires and incessant horns described the morning traffic, and people cluttered the sidewalk with their sneakers and clattering dress shoes. December weaved her way through the crowds of bright t-shirts, slacks, prim glasses, and hair of all colors, attempting to ignore the industrial buildings towering in dizzying heights above the City.

December broke off of the flow to take shelter from the bombarding amounts of people underneath the awning of a pizzeria. She adjusted her scarf, glancing up at the sign above the door. _Buddy's Pizza_. This was where the Hidein were?

And she also noticed the "Closed" sign in the window. _Maybe... _She turned the knob. It didn't resist, the door tinkling open.

_Yup. This is definitely them._

* * *

Down, outside Room 4

4:26 PM

* * *

Azamat leaned against the wall, playing his guitar.

Gahiji was in the twins', bedroom interviewing Amilia. Azamat knew he should be there, too, but couldn't bring himself to sit in. He didn't want to hear what Gahiji had to say. He didn't want to hear Amilia describe it. He didn't want to know.

So he waited, focusing all his attention on his guitar, assigning himself the most complex melodies he could think of. He hadn't played this anxiously for a long time—his fingers, though tough as the soles of shoes, ached with how fast he was playing, how hard he was pressing down on the strings. But the result of all this was the soft, hesitant fingerpicked song of waiting.

He didn't even hear his bedroom door click open. Nor did he notice Gahiji until the Amidian cleared his throat a minute later, making the teenager start out of his song.

"Well?" Azamat said, hugging the guitar staunchly to his chest. Pretending that Gahiji hadn't scared him out of his wits. Receiving no reply to his one-word question, he frowned. "What did Hokori do to her?" he clarified, impatient.

Gahiji regarded him for a moment. Azamat was almost sure that he was going to make some snide comment about the guitar. But his heart sank—Gahiji's grimace twisted with uncharacteristic distress, and Azamat realized just how at a loss Gahiji was.

"You don't know."

Gahiji shook his head. "I don't know," he affirmed.

Azamat bit his lip to keep from swearing. _Good. I don't want to know._ He immediately felt guilty for thinking it. "So what are we supposed to do, quarantine her?"

"Absolutely not." Gahiji glared at him. "Some interaction would do her good. She's not contagious."

"Did he... infect her, or something?"

"I don't know." He sounded annoyed to have to repeat himself. "I don't think she has any sort of disease, but has been changed."

"Her behavior was different?"

"No."

"The way she talked?"

"No."

"Then... she's been injured?"

"No. Any physical ailment was cured when Dr. Julien Healed her."

Azamat blinked. "Why do you call him Doctor?" he said. "He's your uncle."

Gahiji had no answer for him. He simply folded his arms and regarded Azamat with a disapproving glower. "Just make sure that she gets a lot of rest. She can get out of bed tomorrow, but for now she needs to lie down."

"Is she still in pain?"

Gahiji nodded once. Azamat gaped in outrage, but Gahiji interrupted, "Everything is Healed, except for the headache. I've tried to Heal it several times."

"And it won't Heal?"

"No."

The fifteen-year-old clenched his jaw. "You can't think of _anything_ that might cause that?" he said. Anxious that he could.

Gahiji hesitated. Azamat could see Gahiji's mind reeling, thoughts reflected vaguely on his heavy brow. He looked about ready to say something. Then he doubled back on his thought and fixed Azamat with a strange look.

Anger frothed in Azamat's chest. "You know?" he said. "What aren't you telling me?" His fingers closed tightly around the neck of his guitar as he leaned forward.

"I don't know," Gahiji insisted.

"That's a lie. I can see it in your face, you know what's wrong with Amilia and you're not telling me." Azamat's raised voice reverberated in the hallway. "Say it, Gahiji. Tell me what my sister's going through."

"I _don't know_."

"Yeah, you do! Stop lying—"

"Azamat!"

Azamat bit back his anger, recoiled, and looked at the floor. Then he rolled his eyes at himself for being so quick to react to Gahiji's shout. _Gahiji won't hurt me. _

But even as he forced himself to meet the tall, powerful Amidian's glare, he knew that he wasn't entirely sure. Azamat had never seen him try to hurt anyone, but he couldn't help thinking—the way Gahiji clutched his right arm, the one that bore his Hidoi tattoos—it sent fear shooting through his system.

Gahiji exhaled. He rubbed his hand, as if pressing the anger out of it, but the tattoos still grinned at Azamat, wickedly, savoring his fear. Azamat swallowed, glancing from the black markings to Gahiji's frustrated expression.

_He's been thinking about Hidoi the entire time he was in there,_ Azamat realized. _Remembering how it works, thinking about its power. _

He gritted his teeth, looking away as the thought made him shrink in fright. _The temptation he must have resisted just now... _

"I know what he's done to Amilia," Gahiji muttered, "I just don't remember."

"How can you not remember something like that?" Azamat asked.

"I _don't_ _remember_, Azamat, and if I tried to, I'd unearth things that would put you all in danger—so don't ask me to." Gahiji's tone snarled, and Azamat flinched.

_At least he can resist. At least he's looking out for us._

Azamat's shoulders sunk, and his fear crumbled off his features like dry paint.

"I'm sorry, Azamat."

He didn't sound sorry. His apology was as hollow as the ache in Azamat's stomach.

* * *

MTR

4:26 PM

* * *

Lloyd looked pale when he and Cole entered the MTR. Nikolai gave them both a quick smile. He wasn't sure what was quite the matter, but when he looked around at the others, it became apparent that he wasn't to ask—they were all looking at the two ninja apprehensively.

Nikolai was comforted to see that the Mental Training Room, at least, was not completely different. He had been starting to become disoriented by all the changes London had made to Down, but the plain wooden floors of the MTR, complemented by the windows looking out on the blackness of the eastern NinjaGo deep sea, was not a major change. Four folding chairs were set up against the wall, which he instructed the Ninja to unfold.

"Alright," Nikolai said, when everyone was settled. He cracked his knuckles, making the Ninja tense. "I am going to teach you Shauto Theory. It _is_ the boring stuff, but it's important. Do tell me you will at least try to pay attention?"

They nodded, making him smile. They were all so silent. "I'll try to make it interesting," he promised. He gestured to Lloyd to stand. "Lloyd, will you help me?"

The Green Ninja gave a hesitant nod, composing himself as he stood. Nikolai wondered what had happened, but decided to leave it for another conversation. Now was the time to teach.

"You said you unlocked Shauto?" Nikolai inquired of the youth, who rubbed his arm sheepishly.

"Yeah—well, no, I think Shauto's my Element, and I already knew it the whole time."

"It would make sense," Nikolai agreed. "I'm impressed. So now that you know what your powers are, have you tried to channel them into doing something?"

"No," he admitted.

"Try it. Form a kamehameha for me."

Lloyd glanced from him to the others, who all leaned forward to watch. So Lloyd held his hands out in front of him, elbows bent outwards, palms clapped together, and brought them slowly apart. In the space between his hands the kamehameha formed, a brilliant green sphere that looked like a ball of liquid light. Nikolai stopped him. "There, hold it there."

The sphere stopped growing, and the Green Ninja held it in front of him, gazing with a new respect at it. Nikolai gestured all around it, not actually touching it, but coming very close. "This, my friends, is the pure essence of Shauto," he said.

The light captured the Ninja's enchanted expressions with shades of emerald and calcite. "So we've been looking Shauto in the face all this time?" Jay clarified.

"Right," Nikolai said. Shauto, for what it was—completely unchanged from the last time the Lloyd had used it—seemed to take on a different appearance entirely, becoming more mysterious, more powerful, drawing more respect from all onlookers. "This is Shauto's power at its very core; undefiled energy. And it would appear that Lloyd's Element is Shauto."

"That's amazing," Zane said.

"But what about Spinjitzu?" Cole asked, puzzled. "Elements are individual to their Master—like, Kai couldn't use Zane's power, or I couldn't use Jay's, not if we tried—but we can _all_ use Spinjitzu, part of Lloyd's Element. And the _Five_ can do Shauto. Doesn't that make Shauto... I dunno... not an Element?"

Nikolai thought for a moment. "You're right," he said. "Perhaps Lloyd is not an Elemental Master."

"Then what does that make me?" Lloyd said. His forehead dripped sweat from keeping the Shauto contained in one place for so long, and he eyed Dr. Julien nervously.

Nikolai chuckled. "The Ultimate Spinjitzu Master," he said. Lloyd relaxed a bit. "Because, of course, Shauto is what the First Spinjitzu Master used to create NinjaGo."

All the Ninja still seated nearly rose from their chairs. "What?" Jay said. "I thought he used—?"

He broke off, realization dawning. Cole and Zane all sank back down into the chairs, looking stricken with the same epiphany. "Spinjitzu," Jay finished. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

"Exactly," Nikolai said. "Now, I'm not certain, but though the full extent of Shauto's power is reserved for the Spinjitzu Master, even regular people can use Shauto. This because of reasons like compatibility of soul and heart, theories rooted in different theories that may or may not ring true in Shauto's eyes. I'm sure you've heard Gahiji speak about this—that Shauto is not just a force of nature, but a being with intelligence?"

Cole and Jay nodded, but Zane shook his head. "It was mostly London who talked about it," Zane explained, when his father frowned at the gesture. "Not Gahiji."

"But Gahiji told you that Hidoi was the same thing," Nikolai said.

They all looked at each other. Nikolai couldn't follow their expressions very well, as they all changed in rapid succession, but they turned back to him almost as fast as they had even looked away. Nikolai raised an eyebrow. "That Hidoi, too, was a powerful being of cunning?" he pressed further.

"Excuse me," said Lloyd, his voice splitting an octave. He bit his lip, steadying his shaking grip on his kamehameha. Nikolai nodded quickly.

"Sorry, Lloyd—yes, you can let go."

The Shauto winked out, casting them all back into the light of the MTR and allowing Lloyd a free hand to wipe the sweat off his brow. Nikolai put his hand gently on his shoulder, saying, "Don't sit back down just yet. I'll bet we can force you out of your comfort zone here."

Lloyd sure didn't look comforted. Jay snorted, and Lloyd sent him a glare that silenced him, but not the smirks that lingered on both his and the Earth Ninja's faces.

Nikolai took a step back from Lloyd and looked him over. "What can we do with you?" he said absently, making Lloyd's shoulders tense. "Nothing for you to Heal, which is probably what we ought to start out with when trying to harness Shauto... Not Shields, if they're as complicated as I remember, and See is probably a—well, maybe not. Maybe we'll try See."

"What's See?" Lloyd inquired.

"That's right! You were out cold from Vengestone sickness when Gahiji performed it," Cole said.

"So," Nikolai began. He felt around in his pocket. _I took a pen from the Control Room, right? _he thought as he searched. "When you perform Shauto, there are three key elements to a maneuver: the Amid ritual, the Connection Rivers, and the Purpose." He pulled the Shauto Pen out at last and held it up. "Do you know what any of those things are?"

Jay raised his hand, then blushed at the reflex. "I know what Connection Rivers are," he said, "and I'll bet the Amid ritual is just what you say in Amid."

"And the Purpose?" Nikolai said.

Jay shrugged. He, Lloyd and Cole looked lost, but Zane's gears were turning—Nikolai could see it in his brow.

"The Purpose... would be the design you draw with the pen," he said slowly.

Nikolai nodded. "You're right, Zane. The Purpose is the Shauto symbol that is required to tell Shauto what you want it to do.

"It is a system." Nikolai's hands worked in the air as he spoke, demonstrating with a wide arc the system he was talking about. "The Connection Rivers are safely punctuated by Periods, which hook the Rivers to your soul. The Rivers run from your soul to the Purpose, which anchors it in Shauto and harnesses your soul's elements. The Amid ritual is to tell Shauto what you are doing. In this fashion you can harness the purest energy in the world."

His hands stopped inches from each other in the air in a gesture of the planet, and he smiled. He had forgotten just how amazing Shauto was—he had forgotten the awe that had fueled him, London and Dobryak through all those years of studying.

Lloyd raised his hand. He rolled his eyes at himself, much like Jay had done—the Lightning Ninja stuck his tongue out playfully at him. "I have a question. Why are the symbols different? I mean, why does the Heal Purpose look different than the Rescue Purpose, if all they're doing is tapping into your soul's elements? Do they really have to be different?"

"Good question," Nikolai said, impressed. "I like how you think. But of course, they _have_ to be different. Different maneuvers require different elements, after all. The Purpose is composed of the Life Circle, Elemental Grips, and Punctuation. The Life Circle is essential to the Purpose itself. The Elemental Grips tell Shauto which Elements are being specifically tapped into."

"Oh," Lloyd said. "That actually makes a little sense."

"But along those lines," Zane asked, "wouldn't Shauto exhaust your soul's element, eventually? Isn't Shauto using up your soul?"

All the Ninja looked alarmed, Lloyd especially. Nikolai rubbed the back of his head and laughed.

"Well, no, it wouldn't," he said. "My personal theory is that Shauto draws on the power of your elements while reinforcing the structure of your soul—so it's not hurting, but helping. It's the same thing with Spinjitzu, isn't it?"

"I guess so," Zane said. He smiled. "I always do feel rejuvenated after performing Spinjitzu, when one would think that I'd be tired."

The Ninja were all nodding, relieved to hear that Shauto hadn't been eating away at the Green Ninja's soul for years. Nikolai suddenly held the pen out to Lloyd, grinning lopsidedly. "Here. Let's try the See maneuver."

And then he saw Gahiji in the doorway.

Nik's smile caught. Then it widened, in greeting.

Gahiji's arms were crossed over his chest. He gestured once to continue.

Nikolai paused, then gave a short nod. The Ninja were all oblivious to the Amidian's presence, and Gahiji wanted it to stay that way.

He wondered why.

Lloyd took the pen and clicked it. The tip was white felt. "Is it like, invisible ink or something?" he asked, holding it up to the light and inspecting it.

"White ink," Nikolai said. "Amilia's design."

"Is everything Amilia's design?" Lloyd said, lips twitching into a smile.

"Not everything. London designed most of the jets. And the patrol stones. The Birds were December's idea—but yes, Amilia designed those, too." Nikolai lifted his shoulders in defeat. He pulled a regular pen out of his breast pocket, as well as a pad of sticky-notes. "Here, I'll show you the formula for the See Purpose."

He spent a moment drawing, during which time, Zane asked him, "When was the last time that you performed Shauto, father?"

"Oh, just yesterday when I Healed Amilia. But before that? It's been a few years."

"And you still remember _all_ of this?"

"Shauto is a hard thing to forget," Nikolai said. "Especially when you've spent a good quarter of your life immersing yourself in it. It's as instilled in me as your martial arts reflexes are in you."

Lloyd leaned over to watch Dr. Julien draw. The design looked similar to a stick-figure spider with ten eyes in a ring on the body. Two of the eyes were black, on opposite ends of each other.

Nikolai peeled the note from the pad and held it out to the Green Ninja. "This is the See symbol," he said. "Try to replicate it onto your hand."

"On my hand?"

"Don't worry, it washes off with soap."

Nikolai held the symbol up for Lloyd to copy onto his hand. The blonde was very meticulous about it, matching the length of the lines with the ones on the paper, brow furrowing in concentration as he did so. When he finished, Nikolai obliged the curious Ninja by turning the drawing to them so they could see. Lloyd also showed his hand off.

"Why on my hand?" Lloyd asked, eying the white ink.

Nikolai shrugged his shoulders. "It's safer for it to be connected to you for your first maneuver—even if you've been harnessing Shauto's pure energy for a long time.

"Now, you've got the Purpose and the Connection Rivers—which are the blood veins in your arm, in this case—and now, you need the Amid ritual."

Nikolai sighed. He looked over the Ninja, who looked back with wide eyes, and had a feeling this was going to take a while.

"_Pokazhite mnye potok_," he said fluently. "That is the See ritual, and the one you must learn in order to perform it."

"Wait, say that again?" Lloyd looked a little perturbed at the sounds that had just come out of Nikolai's mouth.

Nikolai smiled in spite of himself. "_Pokaaaazhiteee_," he said slowly, "_mnyyyeeh… potok_."

"Pokuhzytay," Lloyd mimicked, "myehh—putock_._"

Gahiji snorted in exasperation, making everyone jump and whirl to face him.

"Gahiji?" Zane said, the first to speak. "When did you get here?"

Gahiji's brow lowered—obviously, he had not wanted to give himself away like that. All the Ninja looked aghast at his sudden appearance, while Nikolai hid a smile.

Lloyd choked, then paled, then blushed hard. His attempt to echo Nikolai's Amid had sounded pretty pitiful. His cheeks blushed painfully crimson.

Gahiji jerked his head towards Nikolai, the stern gesture for them all to ignore him. The Ninja all turned hastily towards their lesson again, on edge.

Nik shot his nephew a glare. He didn't have to be so intimidating. But Gahiji, ever unapologetic, returned the glare with his own cool silver gaze.

"Try again," Nikolai instructed Lloyd, who seemed to be trying to swallow his discomfort. "Repeat after me. _Pokazhite mnye potok_."

Lloyd took a breath, glanced once at Gahiji, and faltered. Nikolai's shoulders sagged. _Gahiji,_ he thought, irritated, _you're tripping the poor kid up. _"Pokayzhitey mnye pokot," he said, then amended in a stammer, "I mean, Pokizhatay mey potok. I mean—!"

The Ninja snickered, making Lloyd flush sunset colors all over again. "_You_ try saying it!" he accused, when Cole muttered something sarcastic that Jay laughed even harder at.

Nikolai brightened. "Yes, Lloyd, good catch! You all need to learn this. Repeat after me."

The all straightened awkwardly.

Nikolai cleared his throat, eying each of them severely before beginning. "Repeat after me. _Pokazhite_."

"_Pokazhite_" from Zane, "Puhkazitey" from Cole, an improved "Pokahzytay" from Lloyd and "Poky-shee-tay" from Jay were the first results.

"_Mnye_."

A chorus of "Mnyeh"s and "Mehh"s followed.

"_Potok_."

And the grand finale was some staccato sounds that Nikolai doubted meant anything in any language except woodpecker. The Ninja all burst out laughing.

"You'll get there," Nikolai said, catching his nephew's eye and grinning. Gahiji rolled his eyes in response, shifting his position in the open doorframe, uncrossing his arms. One hand fell into the pocket of his black leather jacket.

Cole raised his hand to ask something, and Jay and Lloyd both pointed. "You raised your hand!" Lloyd exclaimed, while Cole's face reddened to rival Lloyd's previous shades of embarrassment.

"Oh, please," Cole said, hand dropping quickly. "But Dr. Julien, why are the rituals in Amid?"

"Well, we first encountered Shauto in Amid culture. It was used as a healing technique before Dobryak, London and I realized more of its potential. And I would not be surprised if the First Spinjitzu Master himself was Amid."

Everyone was surprised. Then they all looked at Lloyd, who squirmed. Dr. Julien had followed the same thought—if the First Spinjitzu Master was Amid, that would make his sons Amid—and in turn, Lloyd would also be Amid.

"I don't _think_ I'm Amid," Lloyd said helplessly. "I mean, I'm—Dad's not Amid. Mom's not Amid, either, and neither is Sensei—and I'm not—" He gestured to himself quickly, his creamy skin, light hair and brown eyes.

"You're not Amid," Gahiji said. Flatly, as if Lloyd was an idiot, and shouldn't even be considering the idea.

"Huh," Dr. Julien said. "Yeah, I don't actually know how that works."

"Maybe his kids were adopted," Jay suggested. Everyone looked at him. "W-what? Unless he had a wife, it's totally possible."

"But if he _did_ have a wife, it would mean he would have had to have created her," Zane said. "There was no specification of any woman accompanying him when he created the world."

"No one can know for sure," Dr. Julien said. "We lack the scrolls to tell us. But anyhow! My friends, _do_ try to learn the ritual?"

It took a few minutes to teach them the Amid phrase. Jay was still parroting Lloyd's former "Pokahzytay myeeh putok"—he had no sense of accent whatsoever—but what mattered was that Lloyd could say it. Jay could learn the proper words later. Gahiji was gearing up to leave, impatient with the babbling.

"Alright," Dr. Julien said, waving his hands for silence. "Now that you can say it, Lloyd, try it to perform it."

That made Gahiji pause—he stayed to watch, watching the proceedings with renewed interest.

Lloyd noticed.

He spread his feet apart, bracing himself, and put his hands out in front of him. "Like this?" he said uneasily, and Nikolai nodded, urging him to continue. The Green Ninja's brow tightened as he tried to remember how he managed to create the kamehameha. He squeezed his eyes shut.

He breathed in deeply, then murmured, "_Pokazhite mnye potok._"

A blast of air and light exploded out of the design on his hand, whipping his hair off his forehead and his eyebrows towards the ceiling. He cried out—the air in the room turned the green of summer emerald, light bursting and making the Ninja cover their eyes, and Nikolai squinted against the well of power, lab coat whipping out behind him in the rush. Gahiji, too, shielded his gaze, closing the door until there was only a crack between him and the explosion.

The violent Shauto subsided, leaving a bright haze around Lloyd.

His features glowed golden and pale aquamarine from the white light surrounding him, his hair settled in windswept locks against his jaw, hands clasped together, the glow still fading from the design, and his brow lifted peacefully with the elation of his power.

In that instant, Lloyd was illuminated by his True Potential—the Potential of the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master.

_Spinjitzu Master_. The dignity of the title showed in every facet of his countenance.

And then he opened his eyes, and everything awesome about his raw power was followed up by his just as awesome scream.

"What the—!" He backpedaled into the wall. "Everything—where did it go?"

Nikolai ran forward and took him by the arm, ignoring his shout of indignant terror. "You're using See!" he said, grabbing his shoulders in a firmer hold.

Lloyd's eyes were white; so white that for a moment, it looked as if they had both rolled into the back of his head. He stared, his eyes as wide as he could make them, with pupil and iris both the color of fresh snow.

"You—you're—!" Lloyd stammered.

"Look around! Is the world white?" Nikolai asked.

Lloyd nodded frantically. "And there's—there's the colors—like floating orbs!"

"Right, right," Nikolai said, helping the Green Ninja upright on his shaky legs. "That's your teammates. They're all just fine, Lloyd, you're okay." He gestured to the Ninja, who all composed themselves, spooked by Lloyd's show. Then he turned back, smiling reassuringly. "I've never seen that amount of power channeled into the Purpose! Only to be expected from the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master, of course, but that was quite a performance."

Lloyd gazed at his teammates. "Why are they all orbs?" he asked, his voice sounding considerably less like he was caught in an earthquake.

"You're seeing their souls." Nikolai removed his hands from the Green Ninja, trusting the youth not to fall over. "What colors are they?"

"Brown," Lloyd said. "White, then blue. And..." He paused, looking then to Gahiji. "Uh... it's... clear."

"Clear?" Nikolai and the Ninja looked at Gahiji, who raised his eyebrows indifferently.

Nikolai brushed the peculiarity off. "And I suppose that you're green?" he said, to shift the direction of topic off of Gahiji, who did not look comfortable in the spotlight.

"I'm—" Lloyd hesitated. "—Yellow."

This made Nikolai halt. He stared at Lloyd, who looked up from his chest. "Come again?" he said, confused.

"I'm yellow," Lloyd repeated.

He looked at Nikolai and froze, his pale eyes shimmering with surprise. Then he suddenly reached out, groping for the Doctor's arm like he was blind.

A little taken aback, Nikolai met Lloyd's searching hand with his own. "What is it?" he asked.

When Lloyd's fingers touched Nikolai's, the icy sheet over his gaze faded, and deep mocha returned to his irises. He blinked rapidly.

Nikolai straightened. Lloyd's eyes stayed locked onto his—full of inquiry and disbelief. _Why is he staring at me like that? _Nik thought when Lloyd broke his hand apart from Nikolai's to bring it to his forehead, lowering his eyes to the floor, as confused as Nik was.

Then the realization hit, and with it, a shooting terror throughout Nik's being.

He laughed. "It's a little confusing the first time you try it, isn't it?" he said, patting Lloyd's shoulder once.

"Yellow?" Jay said. He, Zane and Cole were suddenly at their sides, faces lit with excitement and bewilderment. "How could you be _yellow_? You're the Green Ninja!"

"I'm telling you, my soul was yellow." Lloyd's eyes finally left Nikolai's. "If you don't believe me, you can try it for yourself."

"Technically," Zane pointed out, "You _did_ appear gold when you became the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master. Perhaps it was the same color?"

Lloyd shook his head. "It was like—buttered theater popcorn color. Not gold at all."

"Well, what other explanation is there?" Cole said.

_Is it true, then? _Nikolai thought. The image of Lloyd's shock burned in his eyelids, his aimless grabbing replaying with fire. Terrible possibilities rushed through his mind, faster than they ever had—all running too deep to catch now—and with them came the cold dread.

_Am I...? _

He desperately waved the thoughts away, swallowed doubt, jaded his emotions. And Gahiji caught his eye.

The dread tasted ever more sour in his mouth. _If anyone were to piece it together,_ he thought, _it would be him. _

Gahiji frowned. His eyes narrowed, flashing like a katana's blade.

Then he turned and disappeared down the hallway, the door left just ajar so that Nik could hear his footsteps echoing across the walls.

_I can't stay like this,_ Nikolai realized. _These things—these secrets—they must come to light, mustn't they?_

… _Must they? _

_No, _he decided, _I may keep them... for now... _

And he closed his eyes. There, in the comfort of his mind's eye, he sorted the secrets from the truth and locked the secrets in a dark corner of his vision.

Then he opened his eyes, put on a smile, and continued with the lesson.


	31. Confrontation

**A/N: Thanks to Astrid16 for being my beta!**

* * *

Confrontation

* * *

Down, Control Room

5:01

* * *

When London entered the Control Room, she expected to find December looking up the files on Hokori Wyche and all his criminal endeavors. She was taken aback when December was _not_ waiting for her with an armful of papers and documents open on the big screen. And she was even _more_ surprised to find that in her place was the scruffy-haired, thin-lipped Kai.

Kai looked up when she entered, looking just as bewildered as London.

"What are you doing?" London said.

"Uh..."

Kai glanced from the hairspray in his hand to London again, a little sheepishly. His hair stuck up in erratic points. "Fixing my hair?"

London stared at him. The sight was so ridiculous—Kai, with his Styffany's Stiff Spray can in one hand, handheld mirror propped up on his crossed legs, gazing back at her with the most mortified expression on his face.

She laughed.

"I thought you were in your Takigyo session?" she said.

"I was," Kai assured her quickly.

"So why—?" London laughed again, unable to control herself. "Oh, never mind, it doesn't matter. Have you seen December?"

Kai shook his head, still looking as blank as a new sheet of paper.

London chuckled again. She supposed it was a good thing that he was doing his hair. He seemed to have forgotten about it early on in the effects of the Whisperer's spell—the fact that he was putting it up in fiery spikes again meant that the Takigyo was working. However lopsided and hasty the effect was.

She had no idea where the hairspray had come from, though.

"She wasn't in here at all? I thought I told her to look up some information of Hokori Wyche." This last bit was spoken to herself as she put her hand on her chin.

"No. At least, not when I got here."

London exhaled. _Maybe Azamat knows where she went?_ she thought.

Then she smiled at Kai. "You don't have to hide out in here," she said, "you're welcome to go join your team in the Shauto lesson."

Kai looked still confused. Then he said, "Where's the lesson?"

"Just at the end of the hallway, the MTR. The very last room."

"Okay." Kai glanced wistfully at the can of hairspray and mirror, then picked them up and shoved them both hastily in his jeans pocket. London wondered if he had the hairspray constantly on hand like that. He followed her back out of the Control Room.

They ran unexpectedly into Gahiji in the hallway. "Oh, hi," London said. "Where did you come from?"

Gahiji jerked his thumb backwards at the MTR at the end of the corridor. "The training session," he said.

"Ah, perfect. Is December in there?"

Gahiji shook his head, giving London a disturbed look.

"Darn," London said with a sigh. "Kai was just in the Control Room, and he didn't see her, either. I'm gonna go see if Azamat knows where she is."

"Where could she have gone?"

London put her hands on her hips and sighed, "I don't know. Perhaps she made off with a copy of Starfarer, or something?"

Gahiji moaned. "I'll bet that's exactly what happened," he said, starting back down the hallway towards his and December's bedroom. "I'll go check."

London followed him, and Kai followed London.

"Uh, Kai," London said. She smiled and pointed to the MTR, where Dr. Julien's lecturing voice carried down the hallway. "The MTR is that way," she said kindly.

Kai stared at her, vacant expression lingering in his arched brow. "Yeah, yeah, I knew that," he said with a scoff.

But he stood, watching them walk away, still looking a bit lost.

London was about to turn around and give him even more explicit directions, when Azamat popped out of nowhere, making Gahiji start and curse in surprise.

"Azamat," Gahiji said, annoyed.

"Hi," Azamat said. "Have some mints on hand?"

Gahiji raised an eyebrow. "_You_ don't?" he said, but reached into his cloak pocket and flipped a small peppermint into Azamat's outstretched hands.

"I need more than that," Azamat said, impatient.

Gahiji scowled and tossed him four more. "That's all I have."

Azamat caught them deftly and disappeared back into his bedroom.

"You're welcome," Gahiji muttered. He and London both poked their heads into the room. Kai, interested, came up behind them to see.

"Hey, Azamat, have you seen December?" London asked.

"December?" Azamat said. "Oh, yeah."

He dropped all the mints Gahiji had given him into a mug, along with at least twenty others, then placed them on the bedside table so Amilia could reach them from where she sat under the covers, her back propped up against a pillow. She leaned over and popped one into her mouth, simultaneously scribbling something into a green notebook and fluffing her hair, wet from a shower.

"She's just running the City patrol," Azamat said at last, but he looked distracted. He offered Amilia some tylenol, which she took wordlessly, giving him a small smile. _She looks drained, _London reflected. _Oh, Amilia... _

"Today is _your_ day for that patrol," Gahiji said with narrowed eyes.

"She offered to do it for me." Azamat rubbed the back of his head, clearly not interested in explaining why.

"And you said _yes_?" London said, incredulous.

"Actually, I said 'thanks'."

Gahiji was not nearly as shocked by Azamat's accepting the offer as he was by his sister's disappearance. "She went without Birds?" he said.

Azamat huffed and put his hands on his hips. "Come on, Gahiji, you have to admit. It's an easy patrol."

"A Whisperer ambushed the Ninja at the _movie theater_," Gahiji snapped. His harsh tone made Amilia look up from her notebook and gaze at him.

"And you and London just went and reinstalled the City's Shield, so it's not like she's in any danger," Azamat retorted. Then he frowned and raised his hands defensively. "Besides, she's the one that said it was fine if she went without the Birds. Don't get on me for it."

Amilia and Kai both watched the proceedings silently, exchanging sheepish looks with each other.

London put her hand on Gahiji's shoulder, who turned to look at her, still glowering. "Don't worry, Gahiji, I'm sure she's fine. She can handle herself."

Gahiji shrugged her off. "I know," he said. He obviously had trouble not snapping at London, too. He exhaled shortly, and left the doorway.

"So I take it she didn't do any research?" he clarified, heading towards the Control Room.

London and Kai followed. "No, I guess she didn't," London said. She glanced at Kai out of the corner of her eye. _How weird that he follows us around like this. _

"Hey, Kai," she said, turning, "you could go sit in on the lesson, if you still want to."

Kai nodded. "I know," he said shyly, and London had a strange inclination that he felt a lot more comfortable trailing after the two adults than accompanying his teammates. _Why would that be, I wonder? _she thought. Then she realized.

_I guess it is a little off-putting when everyone treats you like you're some sort of unstable science experiment. I know _I'd_ rather hang out with the people who didn't look at me funny. _

Because the Five didn't look at Kai funny. And the Ninja did.

London smiled sadly at him as they came back into the Control Room. It really was too bad that Kai didn't feel comfortable with his teammates anymore. _That'll change soon enough, _she thought. _He's already doing much better. _

"Let's see if we can actually get some information, then," Gahiji said sourly. He did not look pleased that December had so unexpectedly left them with that chore as he knelt down on the floor, pulling out a box from beneath the dashboard.

It was chock full of files, piled untidily on top of one another.

London gave a cry of dismay. "What happened?" she said, falling to the floor beside the box. "I had these all organized! They were all just fine the other day!"

Gahiji just pursed his lips, pulling out more crates. Each one that he brought out from under the dashboard was stacked with files helter-skelter—he had to lean forward and unstick a cluster of folders that were stopping the box from coming out.

"You're kidding me," London said, running her hands through her hair. She picked up a stack of documents and leafed through it, her heart sinking. "This is going to take forever to sort through."

The Amidian looked even more annoyed than he had been when Azamat had scared him. "Great," he said, tone bitter and low. "Just perfect."

London turned around. "Hey, Kai, would you come help—?"

Kai was gone. He had left to join his team in the Shauto lesson, finally—probably upon seeing the mess of papers to be reckoned with. _Right when he might actually be useful,_ London thought with a frown. _Thanks a lot, Kai. _

"I'll clean this up," Gahiji offered grudgingly, then gestured to the screen. "You look up his criminal records online."

"No, I'll organize the files. I know how they go back together."

Gahiji stood up with a sigh when London didn't waver. He approached the dashboard, stepping lightly over the crates of papers to reach the keyboard, opening the finder.

London fought the urge to groan as she cast her gaze over the mess of information. Well, she had to start somewhere. She removed the files in the crate closest to her, picking them all up and reorganizing them alphabetically and by date.

All the documents were full of information on NinjaGo's history, Shauto theory, and profiles of important people like Hokori Wyche and the Ninja. Lord Garmadon as well as Montgomery Garmadon were in there somewhere, and Sensei Wu had about twenty files with his name on it.

She had barely put the letter "A" in order when Gahiji made a noise of disgust.

"What the—?"

He didn't finish his statement. There were fifty tabs open on the first window of Expedition, as well as thirteen other windows that were cluttered with words and tabs. Audio recordings were open, video recordings, iTunes, iPhoto—the screen lagged under Gahiji's finger as he went to close the first window.

"What happened here?" he said, force-quitting all thirteen Expedition windows, which helped the system out considerably in functioning.

A hissing flurry of orange light prevented anyone from saying anything else. London and Gahiji whirled to see December materializing in the middle of the room, between two boxes of files, out of breath and eyes flung wide.

"December," London said, relieved. "There you are!... What's the matter?"

December gaped at them, blue eyes flitting from London to Gahiji in a shocked ecstasy.

Then she disappeared in another cloud of light.

* * *

NinjaGo City, Buddy's Pizza

4:56 PM (five minutes prior)

* * *

Everything was eerily quiet after the initial _ting_ of the shop bell, which seemed to ring in the tile floors and plated walls when the bell stilled. December found the Pizzeria deserted, dark, and hushed like it was keeping a secret. The clock on the wall behind the counter ticked ominously.

Her footsteps echoed, even though they were padded by soft leather moccasins. It made her uneasy. She checked behind the counter, where a soft drink had long become warm.

And beside it, a mug of hot coffee cooled.

_Someone is here. _

She debated whether to call Azamat. _This couldn't be one of the Hidein's secret hideouts, _she reasoned. _The Factory was encrypted; if these are the same guys, I wouldn't have been able to see them. _

_... Unless their encryption was forfeited by the City's Shield, _she thought, _And they've just been exposed. _

If December was walking into a Hidein base, she was in trouble—she had no Birds to cover her, no teammate to watch her back, nor the training to deal with anything except Whisperers.

She glanced beneath her. The Hidein would be in the basement. There had only been three of them and a Whisperer. She could totally take them, with Shauto on her side.

_Whisperers and Hidein are two different things._ Gahiji's voice rang in her ears, a memory that December recalled from a few years ago. _One of them is a hazard easily dealt with. The other destroys everything it can see—and even the things it can't. _

December considered this. If she could See the Hidein, chances were pretty good that Gahiji and London were done installing the Shield. Perhaps she could call them.

Then she heard a distant crash, sounding somewhere beneath the floor, and realized that she had no time. _They're moving._

December tentatively pushed the backroom door open. The kitchen, too, was empty, tiled and and silent.

The floor was stained the black of dried blood.

Thoroughly creeped out, December's eyes followed the trail of blood to the back of the room, where the stains smeared the white wood of another door. The basement. December crouched down and rubbed her finger against the stain nearest her, which flaked under her touch._ It's old_, December thought, wiping her hand on her cloak. _Has someone besides the Hidein been here? _

Hopefully it had been the Hidein's blood, and not them dragging an innocent civilian down to the basement.

Another crash, and then the unmistakable scream of an agonized Whisperer. December slipped a Rescue stone into her hand. Belatedly, she realized that if the Whisperer was in pain because of the newly installed Shield, it was probably going to die within a few minutes—and the Rescue Stone wouldn't do anything against Hidein.

Her heart jolted. She brushed her cloak away from her ankle, where the Shield symbol was inscribed on the band encircling her leg. _Oh, no. I need Azamat to activate my Shield... why didn't I call him before now? _

December traded her Rescue stone out for the dagger tucked into her belt, then gazed, dismayed, at the small blade. _Perfect. Sure, I can hold my own against three Hidein with a single knife and no Shield!_

She was growing less confident by the second. The Whisperer cried out, then someone shouted over it, followed by the bang of something being knocked over.

_There's no way, _she thought, fumbling for her wrist communicator. _I have to call Azamat._

The shop door _ding_ed open.

December jumped to her feet, slammed the door shut and bolted it, sprinting towards the other side of the room. _I have to get out of here! _she thought. _At least I'm safe for now. They can't open that door... _

"We're back," someone called.

_Unless they really are Hidien. Then they could just blow the door down. _

_Teleportation coin,_ December thought desperately, rummaging in her pockets as the people in the front of the shop puttered around. There followed a silence; December stilled when she realized that they were listening for her.

The Whisperer screamed, a thunderous cry that rumbled beneath her. She heard shouts, too, of the Hidein's furious attempts to calm the Whisperer. Even as her heart sank into her feet, she took the chance to pull her teleportation coin from her cloak.

She hesitated. There's so much information here that we could use! If I could just get those Hidein...

Then there was a deep thud. The bolted door was being pounded from the outside, with muffled exclamations of effort. December growled at herself, looked around frantically for somewhere to hide, and realized with dismay that her best chance was probably the cupboards.

_Another day,_ she thought, with no small amount of reluctance. She brought the teleportation coin up to her mouth, and the backroom door flew open in a flurry of purple sparks.

* * *

NinjaGo City, Buddy's Pizza

4:59 PM (two minutes prior)

* * *

"We're back," Garmadon called softly, in mock enthusiasm.

Nya grinned, stuffing her goggles into her pocket.

"This place looks deserted," Ed said nervously. "You realize this counts as breaking and entering, now, dontcha, Edna?"

_He sounds like Jay, _Nya noted, not without a pang of amusement and worry. She missed Jay.

"I know, dear," Edna replied, "and we'll be fine. No one even saw us come in."

"We're hardly inconspicuous, though," Misako pointed out. "A group of six people entering a closed pizzeria isn't exactly something that happens every day."

Edna's brow furrowed, but as she opened her mouth to address this, Sensei Wu held up his hand. Everyone hushed immediately; the Sensei's eyes closed, his head tilting as he listened.

"Did you hear that?" he murmured.

"Hear what?" Nya said, looking around apprehensively. Her hair stood on end—they listened to the clock ticking distantly.

A thunderous cry rumbled beneath them in a split second of sheer spine-tingling terror. Nya started and backed up a few paces, as did everyone else, listening to the chilling scream that tapered into a lingering, high-pitched wail.

"A Whisperer," Misako said softly. "... They really are here."

Nya was awakened to the sudden realization; no one had really believed that they would find the Hidein here again. She found herself clenching her fists and setting her jaw, steeling herself against the thought—here they would fight. Whether they would fight some_one_ or some_thing_, they didn't know, but one way or another, they were going to rescue the Ninja.

If they were even alive.

If the Hidein even had anything to do with their disappearance.

Nya drew her sword from its sheathe, hefting the golden katana high, and Misako, Wu, and Garmadon did the same. Ed and Edna readjusted their grip on their Shauto stones.

"Alright," Edna said. She fixed each of them with a her stern brown gaze. Nya found herself standing taller when she looked at her and nodded. "Let's go."

Edna led the way through the pizzeria to the kitchen door, pushing on it.

It didn't yield.

She pressed harder. Then she turned and jammed her shoulder up against it, then her back. Huffing, she drew away. "It's locked," she said.

Garmadon laughed. "That's right," he said, "it bolts shut. 'Scuse me for a second, Edna."

Edna moved back behind Wu, who backed up. Nya followed suit, and so did the Walkers.

Garmadon held his arms out wide, as if testing the air; then he tensed, gritted his teeth, and whirled. Crackling lavender light glowed around him, and his Spinjitzu tornado knocked the door down with an easy _crash!_

He came to a halt on top of it, light fizzling out in tiny sparks of pale purple around him.

"That's one way to do it," Ed said, but he was clearly impressed as they all stepped over the fallen door and into the kitchen. "Now we're _actually_ breaking and entering."

They all froze.

In the center of the room crouched a woman, in a flowing black raiment with dark skin and white hair, glowing in a haze of orange light. When she saw them, she stiffened, and she and the fiery light disappeared.

"What the—?!" Garmadon drew his sword. "Did you all see that?"

They ran to the middle of the room, where the woman had vanished from. Nya dropped to her knees to inspect the floor.

"Was that Hidoi?" she demanded, turning to Ed and Edna, who were both as pale as ghosts. "That flash—was she Hidein?"

Ed shook his head, a wide smile sprouting from the corners of his lips. "You don't think?" he said to Edna, who was grinning just as brightly.

"I _do_ think," Edna said. "Wasn't that...?"

Ed pulled a small coin out of his pocket, his teleportation coin that had been gifted him before he left the Five, inspecting it intently. Nya and the others watched, impatient, as the Walkers exchanged glowing expressions.

"The Five...?"

A blast of bright orange seemed to explode in the midst of them, sending everyone backpedaling furiously into the kitchen counters. The woman materialized, a ghostly form for a few moments, before her features hardened into physical existence, and she opened a pair of icy blue eyes.

The light dissipated, and the woman turned, grinning, to Ed and Edna. "Mr. Walker?" she said. "Mrs. Walker?"

"It _is_ you!" Ed and Edna both cried together, the former throwing his hands up in celebration, the latter running to the woman and embracing her. "December!"

Nya, Garmadon, Wu and Misako all stared.

Edna released the young woman and said, "I thought we'd never get a hold of the Five! Thank the First Spinjitzu Master that you're here, December. My, you've grown! Look at how beautiful you are!"

"I'm sure there's a heck of a backstory as to why pretty much all of the Ninjas' relatives are here," the woman said, glancing to Nya and the others, who all gazed at her in pure bewilderment. "But now is not the time. We're up against three Hidein and a Whisperer."

"Wait!" Nya cried. "You know the Ninja?"

December nodded. "Of course," she said. "The Five know all about you."

"I'm sorry—the _Five_?" Garmadon said. "As in the Five who are fighting the Whisperers? The Five that Ed and Edna used to belong to?"

December turned to him, smiling, and gave a short bow. Nya could not help staring at her irregularity. "Yes, sir," she said.

"Do you know where the Ninja are?" Nya said urgently.

December's features softened. She gave a small nod and said, "They're safe. They're with the Five, learning Shauto and preparing to fight the Hidein and the Whisperers."

The whole room gave a collective cheer of relief. Garmadon and Misako embraced each other, as did Ed and Edna; Sensei Wu leaned back on the counter, bringing a hand to his forehead, and Nya clapped her own hands to her mouth. "Thank goodness," Misako said in a quivering voice. "Thank the First Spinjitzu Master..."

"We thought the Hidein had taken them captive!" Nya blurted.

"I'm sorry," December began, when another unearthly screech rattled them all to their senses. Then December, her expression contracting into a dogged frown. "I need your help," she said, expanding her arms to them helplessly. "I can't face these Hidein on my own!"

"We're the ones who need _your_ help," Ed said, smiling.

"Good, 'cuz you're getting it," December said. She turned to the door in the back of the room and said, "Let's go."

They all diverted their attention to the door that led to Eboni's lair. Nya's stomach dropped.

Blood was slathered all over the door, macabre handprints on the wood, forming a thin red crust in the corner. Barely discernible were the footprints patterned after combat boots in tracking in and out of the pool.

"Woah," Garmadon said. "What do you think the chances were that William made it out?"

Nya immediately felt guilt shoot through her. If the blood was indeed William's, she could only hope that he had made it out alive. No matter if they were an enemy, Nya did not want to be the cause of someone's death.

The Whisperer gave another shriek, this time faltering sooner. It was dying, Nya could tell. The piercing lament inspired some kind of primal fear inside of her—a fear of her _own_ demise, as if she was somehow linked to the Whisperer.

"Alright," December said. She approached the door, grimaced, and pulled her cloak's sleeve over her hand to twist the knob.

The door opened freely into the uninviting darkness of the hallway. Without a moment's hesitation, December disappeared down the tunnel, prompting everyone to follow her, hastily flicking on their flashlights.

Nya felt light-headed as she fell into step beside her friends, raising her sword into battle-stance. So the Five were working against the Hidein, too? Nya was bewildered at how right it felt, however, to follow this person that she hadn't even barely met—December's air was of confidence, but that shouldn't make up for the blatant shock of her appearance.

In short, Nya couldn't believe this was happening. She followed December and the Walkers down the corridor that Nya remembered sharply. Touching the wall spiked in her a deja-vu-ish feeling that was too real for her taste.

_We're here for Kai. For Jay. For all of them. _Reminding herself of this made it easier to ignore the discomfort.

December halted in the middle of the hall. Here, Nya got a better look at the woman's face in the illumination of the flashlights; it was hard-edged and stern, pigmented a deep color that made her blend almost perfectly with the darkness.

"There's stairs here," she said, and Misako shined her light helpfully on the wall. Cut into the corridor wall were narrow stairs that angled sharply downwards. Nya blinked. How had they missed that the first time?

December used the Whisperer's next agonized scream to determine that the stairs were the right route to take, but Nya and the others raised their arms to cover their ears. The noise reverberated deafeningly through the hall. It was all they could do to follow her down the stairs, biting their tongues and muscles so tense as to send an aching pain through each of them. _How can she stand it?_ Nya thought, marveling at December.

The stairs bent into a spiral formation. _This is unsafe. We're getting deeper and deeper,_ Nya thought, more frightened than she had been in a long time. Was it the Whisperer doing it to her? The Walkers had mentioned their powers... wasn't there some sort of fear spell you could fall under? Nya shook herself, resolving not to let the Whisperer get the better of her.

Then they broke off into another short corridor. Ivory light, swinging erratically back and forth like a lantern, illuminated the doorway to a room. Nya's heart lurched when she saw one of the Hidein run across her line of sight.

December looked back at everyone, face grim. "Ready?" she asked, taking in the nervous expressions and raised swords, and her eyes softened. "Alright, now whatever you do, don't let anyone—"

The Whisperer screamed again.

It struck them like the shock of hitting water from a high jump, and was just as painful. The shriek reverberated in Nya's chest, hammering her senses so hard that even as she covered her ears, she stumbled, knocking into someone.

Hot pain seared her knuckles.

Nya yelped when the blade met her hand, staggering backwards into Ed, who steadied her quickly. Confusion erupted around her; exclamations of pain and terror that were drowned out by the disturbing, shrill shriek of the Whisperer.

Whirling, she was met with the glittering eyes of a Hidein, his grin broad and laughter devilish.

Nya screamed.


	32. Burn

Burn

* * *

NinjaGo City, Buddy's Pizza, Dark Hallway

5:09 PM

* * *

Nya thrust her katana furiously in front of her, but the Hidein blocked it with a whirling shuriken that returned to his grip instantly.

_Great! Another set of boomerangs! _Nya thought with a growl.

Nya clocked him on the side of his head with the hilt of her blade before he could do anything else. The Hidein grunted and buckled—Nya jumped aside to let him take the full fall.

She spun around to see the ensuing chaos. They were surrounded by three Hidein, which seemed like a cinch for twice their amount, except for the black Hidoi they sent every which way. Swords clanged, that _insufferable_ Whisperer kept the whole place echoing with unearthly fury, and something jet onyx, like the many unending folds of mist that of the Whisperers, crackled in the air. It seared her senses, a haze of murky confusion.

The Hidein grabbed her foot.

With a shout of alarm, Nya kicked him, trying to dislodge the sudden death grip he had fastened to her ankle. But he looked up at her, smirked through a mask of pain, and flung his shurikens.

Nya's eyes widened. She parried one with her katana, and it soared in a shuddering arc back to the Hidein—the other shuriken came shrieking towards her, and with a grunt, Nya swung her katana like a baseball bat and sent the Hidein's weapon up the stairs and out of sight. It came back to the man like some hyped up boomerang, and he tossed them both at her.

_I can't—can't keep this up!_ Nya thought, deflecting each shuriken to have them shot back at her again, rooted to the spot by the Hidein's hand.

Finally Nya lost patience. She blocked another shuriken, jerked her leg to the wall, and flattened the Hidein's fingers against it with all the force she could manage.

He cried out. Then he gritted his teeth, pulled himself to a crouch, and threw the shurikens, this time between her legs. The buzzing blades circled went through the gap and circled back around to stab her in the calves - Nya attempted to wrench her legs back together, but the Hidein's hold on the one leg was like an iron clamp. She bent backwards to parry the shurikens with her katana.

A split second after she knocked aside both shurikens, she realized the Hidein's trick.

While she was off-balance, he straightened, kicked her sword from her hand, and yanked her feet violently out from under her. She landed on her stomach, her sword clattering off the wall and onto the floor, and the Hidein seized her by the legs.

Nya was slung violently over his shoulder onto his back before she got her breath back. When she finally did, she screamed in indignation and pounded his spine with her fists.

"Let go of me!" she yelled in a faltering voice.

The Hidein chuckled and gave her legs and indelicate squeeze. Nya gasped. "Don't worry, sweetheart," he sneered, even as Nya elbowed him frantically between his shoulder blades.

A bright flash of emerald light filled the hallway.

Then all sound was drowned out by the Whisperer's ear-piercing scream. The sound rattled her insides until Nya was barely able to see straight—this coupled with the disorientation of being upside down over the Hidein's shoulder was overwhelming. All she could do was close her eyes and flail against him.

"Let _go_ of me!" Nya repeated, jamming her arm against his back.

And then, quite suddenly, she was airborne, soaring until she hit the wall. Winded, she collapsed to the floor with the _smack_ of flesh on stone.

Before she had five seconds to recover, someone grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her firmly to her feet. "_Move_!" Misako said, as Nya stumbled for a footing and grunted in exertion.

But the furious Hidien delivered a concise blow to the back of Misako's head with a curled fist, and she fell forward onto the floor with a yelp.

"Misako!" Nya cried, as the Hidein grabbed her by the waist and started to lift her up. Nya screamed and kicked him—he let go, and she flailed in the air for a moment before landing face-down on the floor again.

She turned over with a breathless groan, barely spotting the silver blur of his shuriken zooming towards her—she rolled to escape it, gasping. An attempt to sweep the man's legs out from under him proved futile—the Hidein dodged and gripped her by the back of her hair, yanking her to her feet.

This sent a flaming whiplash from her neck to her shoulders. Nya shouted in alarm and pain, but the Hidein pinned her arms, pulled her towards him by the hair, and thrust his knee into her back.

Nya cracked against the wall head first, blood springing from her nose and forehead.

She crumpled in a silent moment, pain screaming through her like the shuriken through the air—sounds and sight were blocked for what felt like hours.

_He has the upper hand… First Spinjitzu Master, help me._

The Hidein kicked her in the side, and she was sent soaring into the other wall.

She felt a few ribs crunch and bend upon impact, but it was nothing compared to the throbbing in her head. She groaned and rolled over onto her back, blood gurgling from her lips and streaming down her forehead. The pain was unmatched—her vision was dark, her hearing dampened by flowing blood.

There was no further advances made by the Hidein.

_He's abandoned me?_

Nya at last got to her hands, then her knees, clutching her head, blinking away black spots.

Her hand grazed the hilt of a blade as she eased onto her knees—she grabbed her sword and stood up straight, shaking the burning ache off as best she could so her senses could return.

Then she heard Misako screaming.

Across the hall, only a few feet from her, the Hidein held a now conscious Misako up by the throat. Her legs flailed hopelessly in the air, choking and whimpering as she struggled to pry his fingers from her neck. Black lightning formed an erratic haze around the Hidein's hands.

Nya acted in an instant. She jumped forward, gripping her katana in both hands, and with a furious yell, the sword met his leg below the knee.

The limb was swept clean off in an eruption of blood. The Hidein toppled over, screeching in agony and letting go of Misako, who hit the floor, gasping.

Nya backpedaled in shock—she hadn't meant to cut through the bone! She clapped her hand to her mouth, stifling the immediate cry that shuddered in her throat.

The Hidein clutched his severed leg where the crimson liquid spurted and stained the floor red, howling, convulsing in agony.

All around them, the shouts of battle echoed and the swords flashed against black Hidoi, but Nya could only see the man lying on the floor in front of her, and as he opened his wet eyes, the look of pure, desperate hatred on his face, burning into her memory.

Hidoi crackled along his outstretched hand in an arc toward her, and when it reached the stone beneath her, replaced the ground with empty darkness. A long yawning chasm stretched beneath her feet.

The floor dropped out from beneath her, and she was falling.

She screamed, waving her arms desperately until she caught the edge of the stone floor, her legs smacking the pit wall painfully, and scrabbled for a better handhold, fingers scraping the smooth floor in vain.

At last, she was able to keep hold, putting her entire weight on her arms. When she had done this—lightheaded from the ache and the lack of solid ground beneath her feet - she looked up. The Hidein sat across the hall from her, gaunt, blood around his eyes and mouth.

_How did he get there so fast?!_

He grinned, leaned forward to push her over into the pit, and promptly slumped over.

Misako had slammed his head with the pommel of Nya's recovered sword, giving a cry of triumph, rendering him immediately unconscious. She now grabbed Nya's arms, braced herself against the floor, and heaved with all her might. Nya felt herself slipping out of the endless darkness, and she scrambled to lift herself onto the floor, using Misako's arm as an anchor.

"Thanks," Nya gasped, returning to her feet, shaking as Misako allowed her to lean on her.

"No problem," Misako said, wincing. "Are you going to be okay?"

Nya nodded. "You?"

"I'll survive."

"But the Hidein," Nya said, looking to the unconscious man on the floor. "We can't leave him like that—he'll bleed to death!"

Misako opened her mouth, but a shout from Garmadon made them both spin. They bolted from the stairway.

Garmadon was pinned to the farthest wall by two golden katanas through each shoulder. Sensei Wu had one of the swords in both hands, December tugging on the other, both heaving to no avail. Misako ran to him, giving a horrified cry, but Nya was left frozen in the doorway.

Edna was out cold on the floor, a pool of blood around her abdomen.

Nya's stomach clenched, and she started to run to her, but December shouted at her not to. "I'll take care of her," she said. "_You_ help Mr. Walker!"

Nya whirled.

The two other Hidein had Ed cornered against a row of filing cabinets on the closest wall.

Ed ducked to dodge a shuriken, and his legs were knocked out from underneath him just as quickly as he had avoided the weapon. One man, with skin as white as December's hair, forced Ed to the floor with his boot while the other nabbed Ed's sword. The second, an Amidian, turned the katana backwards in a deft movement, preparing to stab Ed in the chest.

Nya launched a flying kick that caught the Amidian in the back.

The dark-skinned Hidein whirled with shock and surprise, but Nya grabbed him by the shoulders and thrust her knee into his stomach. She seized the sword in his hands, placed her foot behind his, and pushed him—he tripped over her foot and crashed into the open filing cabinets against the wall with a yowl. Papers exploded everywhere.

The other man jumped at her, but she deflected the blow, slipped her sword between his arms and held it to his throat. He recoiled, lifting his boot from Ed's stomach, raising his hands in the air with a grunt of irritation. Ed struggled to his feet.

Nya backed the Hidein against the wall.

"Hey, missy," the Hidein said, "I wouldn't happen to know you, would I?"

Nya blinked. For a terrifying moment she thought he might be William—then saw his dark hair, yellow eyes ringed with black eyeliner, and haughty smile.

No, he wasn't William.

But his smile, however; that vexing grin was familiar.

"No," she said curtly, driving the tip of the katana closer to his neck until it met his skin. He inhaled through clenched teeth.

"Are you sure?" the man said. "Because I'm _quite_ certain that I know you, Miss Samurai. …May I call you that?"

Nya blinked, both at his audacity and the shock that he knew her. Everyone seemed to know who she was, in one form or another! She wondered if she had ever really been able to keep her identity secret.

"Keep talking," Nya said at last. "I like listening to people say stupid things."

The Hidein laughed. It was a crunchy sound, one that grated on Nya's ears like nails on a chalkboard—a laugh that _also_ sounded familiar.

"Ed," Nya said. "Ed, help me."

When she received no reply, she glanced quickly away from the Hidein to find him. He was crouched on the floor at the other side of the room next to December, holding his wife in his arms and begging her to wake up so he could Heal her.

Nya's heart lurched. _Edna!_

She looked back to the Hidein, into his burnt yellow eyes. _Yellow eyes._ Nya had never seen such a thing in her life. "Come quietly," she said. "Trust me."

"No, no," the Hidein said, slowly, in a crystal voice—a tone with so many glittering facets that Nya was immediately enchanted. "Please—come with _me_."

_I probably should,_ Nya realized. _I need to know about those eyes. Why are they that color? _

"Drop the sword." His s's were long and hissed beautifully through his teeth, as smooth as a blade being drawn from its sheathe—his entire voice resonated with a fascinating lightness, like molten glass, or warm milk. "Come to me."

_Irresistible_.

Nya let the point of her sword fall from his throat, sheathed her weapon, and walked towards him without thinking. He smiled at her; his teeth were pointier than December's, almost like fangs. A tongue piercing clicked against his teeth as he wrapped his arms around her.

"The Samurai X..." He purred. "There are so many reasons why I could kill you right now. …Would you like that, honey? Would you like to die?"

Nya couldn't quite discern between her own thoughts and the thoughts he was putting in her head. Dimly she was aware that he was somehow cheating her—somehow, this wasn't quite right—but then he said, "_I'd_ like to kill you."

"If that's what you want," she said at last, sinking into his embrace. Something felt off, even as his lips locked with hers, but she couldn't think of a reason to resist him, _or_ the strange power that coursed through her being.

It was almost as if...

As if she could just...

_... Burn away..._

Then, abruptly, he collapsed to the floor, unconscious. His dagger, poised to stab her in the back of the neck, grazed her waist as he went down, and Nya was snapped suddenly out of Hidoi's spell.

Nya gasped and clutched her side, blood wetting her fingers where his knife had skimmed her. All her pain exploded back into existence, and it brought her to her knees, coughing and gasping, broken ribs crunching together. The smoky taste of the Hidein's tongue still permeated her mouth.

Sensei Wu stood in front of her. He leaned down and grasped her arm, pulling her to her feet. "Nya," he said. "Nya, look at me. Are you alright?"

Nya shook her head, sick to her stomach. She rubbed the collar of her dress across her mouth to get rid of the Hidein's taste. "I didn't," she said, voice shaking. "I didn't, Sensei."

Sensei Wu's expression was one so mixed that all Nya could recognize was pity and horror. "It's alright, Nya," he said, taking her hand and squeezing gently.

Nya swallowed hard. Then she became aware that her Sensei had blood dribbling down his hand. It warmed her skin. "Sensei," she exclaimed, "You're hurt!"

"It's not serious," Sensei Wu said. "And compared to you, I'm faring just fine. Here, take my arm."

Nya had barely done so when December appeared beside them. "I've got her, Mr. Wu," she said, and took Nya by the shoulder. Nya opened her mouth to speak, but the Five agent shoved something her way.

"It's a peppermint," she explained. "Eat it. I promise it helps."

"Where's Garmadon?" Nya said, remembering the old man pinned to the wall like a bug on a display. "And Edna? And Misako—?"

"_Eat it_," December growled.

Nya choked at the woman's exasperation, but ate the peppermint. Its effect was unprecedented—she stopped trembling and warmth filled her. She hadn't realized until then how cold she had been.

"The others are all fine. Edna is the only one who hasn't been Healed, because she's out cold, but her wounds have been treated and she's in no danger if we can get her back to Down to rest."

"Down?" Nya was thrown off by the term.

"The Five's headquarters." December rubbed more of that green stuff on the gash Nya sported from the Hidein's knife. Nya looked across December's shoulder at Garmadon and Misako standing together—neither bleeding or hurt—and Ed carrying Edna in his arms.

"_Zlo ischeznet._"

The cut Healed, and December looked up at Nya, meeting her gaze severely. "That was a close one, Nya."

Nya tried to talk again, but December interrupted with a reassuring smile. "I know, I saw everything. He was using Hidoi to bend your will. You had no defense against that sort of thing. You did nothing wrong." She Healed Nya's head. "The real worry is why all the Hidein seem to want you so much."

December wiped blood from Nya's hand and smeared more mint-smelling liquid on her knuckles, Healing the cut that the first Hidein had given Nya.

_The first Hidein._

And Nya felt fresh terror shoot through her system.

"The Hidein!" she blurted. "You have to Heal him. He'll die of blood loss."

December stared at her, taken aback. "What?"

"That Hidein—the first one—I cut off his leg, and he's losing a lot of blood. I don't care if he's an enemy. I can't let him die."

"Wait—you _cut off_ his _leg_?"

"I didn't mean to!" Nya clamped her mouth shut. Why did she care so much?

_Because I don't want to be a killer. _

December hastily muttered the Healing ritual. "Take me to him," she said. Nya, brushing a discreet tear away, turned and pointed back down the dark hallway, where the man lie in a lake of his own blood, his severed leg across the hall from him.

December made a muffled noise of horror.

Nya closed her eyes and leaned against the doorway, lifting her hand over her mouth. The air was rank with the smell of blood. _It's my fault,_ she thought, and this time, more than just one tear had to be furtively wiped away. _I did that. I cut off that man's leg. _

_It was in defense... he would have killed Misako. I wield the sword—a weapon _made_ to destroy the human body. _

Nya ground her teeth. Her hand went to her katana, hanging from its belt.

_This sword is a killing weapon. Accept its responsibility, or throw this katana on the floor. _

Nya bit her lip.

She left the katana in its sheathe.

December crouched down beside the man. She produced bandages from her pockets and immediately began wrapping his leg. Garmadon came to help, and December directed him to apply pressure to the covered wound while she unraveled the rest of the bandages.

Nya approached them. "What can I do?" she asked softly.

"Lay him down," December suggested. But as Nya began to crouch, a grinding fire burst to life in her stomach. With a grunt, Nya straightened, clutching her abdomen.

"What happened?" December said, alarmed. "Didn't I—?"

"My ribs," Nya managed through a gasp.

December gestured frantically for Ed, who handed his wife to Misako and crossed the room to Heal Nya. Nya closed her eyes, relieved when the burn sizzled away under his fingers.

Ed raised a hand for her to stay, giving a subdued smile, and knelt down to take the Hidein by the shoulders and ease him onto his back. Nya was left to watch the sticky process. The Hidein was sickly pale. Wisps of auburn hair fell over his closed eyes. Nya felt guilt heavier on her chest than ever.

He coughed.

"He's awake?" December exclaimed at the sound of the Hidein's guttural hacking. She abandoned the bandages and scrambled for another vial of green liquid.

"_Tih_," the Hidein choked. "_Tih... murrr..._"

"Timur?" Garmadon repeated, looking at Ed. Then he and Mr. Walker both turned to look at Nya, who stared down at the Hidein in complete bewilderment.

"I am… Timur." The Hidein opened his eyes a slit. He gave a small smile—the grin sent shivers down Nya's spine. "And let it... let it be known..."

His eyes rolled backwards into his head, and he wheezed for breath.

December poured the contents of the vial onto his semi-bandaged stump. "Shut up," she snapped at him. "Save your energy."

But Timur refused to comply. "Let it be known," he persisted, in a dying voice, "that I... Timur... am the Samurai's... sole... captor."

Here followed a quick silence. Then December gave a wild shout.

"Back up!" she said, jumping to her feet.

Dark energy gathered above Timur's chest, a horrendous, growing rift of stygian power, that filled the air with an electric keen. Nya gasped as everyone backpedaled to the stairs—Timur howled with the effort, a livid cry, making the ebon Hidoi froth and writhe with furious greed, leaping like a great infernal wildcat.

"_Samurai!_" Timur shrieked.

And the hellish Hidoi leapt on Nya.

"_Nya_!"

Hidoi clamped down, swallowing her whole, a scorching band of power binding her movements together. Pain flared across her entire body, and she screamed, her entire being shattering into a million pieces and dissolving like bitter ash, vanishing from the hallway into someplace dark, searing, and ringing with voices.

The last thing she heard was her name, splitting desperately through the air—_"Nya!"—_and then it was drowned out by the whispering of the shadows.

It was almost as if...

As if she just...

_... Burned away._


	33. Temptation

Temptation

* * *

Down, Hallway

5:10 PM

* * *

"I'm _hungry_," Jay complained as the Ninja left the MTR. "When's dinner? I didn't even have _lunch_."

"That's your own fault," Cole said with a grin.

"Don't tell me _you're_ not hungry! It's like..." Jay glanced at his watch. "Five-ten."

Cole shook his head and slipped his hands into his pockets, still projecting an irksome beam. "I didn't say I wasn't hungry. I just said it was your fault that you didn't eat at lunchtime. There was a sandwich bar and everything."

Lloyd laughed, while Jay frowned quizzically at the Master of Earth.

"If it helps at all, Jay," Zane said, making the Master of Lightning turn. "Dinner should be from six to six-thirty, if things go according to schedule."

"Schedule?" Jay inquired. His stomach gave an irritated snarl of hunger, and he grimaced. "'Scuse me," he said, as Cole hid a snicker behind his hand.

"The schedule in the Control Room, outlining a standard day here in Down," Zane explained, nodding his head politely to Jay. "The schedule hanging on the wall beside the doorway. ... Am I the only one who noticed it?"

"Apparently," Lloyd said. He idly stretched and yawned. "But schedule or no schedule, I'm starvin' _Marvin_. Who makes dinner around here?"

"It varies from day to day," Zane said. "But today it is December's turn to cook dinner. Tomorrow it will be Azamat's, and the next day will be Amilia's, then London, then Gahiji, and it cycles."

"Sounds like our dinner schedule back at the Bounty," Cole remarked. His voice held a bubbly note that made Jay frown quizzically at him.

Jay poked Cole, who prodded him back with a stiff finger. "_You're_ sure cheery," Jay said, smiling in spite of himself. Cole's eyes glittered with a familiar light—the spark of wires connecting in his brain and a whir of energy Jay could have sworn he could feel buzzing in the air around the Master of Earth.

"I'm excited," Cole admitted as they all strolled down the hallway. Then he chuckled. "I still feel like I could listen to Shauto theory forever."

"_Really_?" Jay said, aghast. "That was so draining!"

"It makes me want to dance!" Cole skipped across the floor, spinning on one heel and throwing his arms out in a short demonstration of his thrill. This earned chuckles all around, and Cole didn't even look abashed—he simply closed his eyes and continued down the hall, grinning in satisfaction.

"Obviously," Lloyd said, "you haven't had your fill."

"Nope," Cole said. "I could use Shauto forever."

"Careful—put a period there," Jay said dryly.

It took Cole, Lloyd, and Zane a moment to get it—Kai, who had been watching the conversation silently, just gave Jay a vacant look. But when they finally did, there was an eruption of laughter that echoed down the length of the hallway.

"Oh, no, Jay," Cole said, grinning at the Master of Lightning, "what have you done? _Shauto_ jokes, now?"

Their mirth died away pretty fast, however, as the truth to Jay's comment occurred to each ninja in turn and silenced their sniggering.

Jay glanced at Kai, who had not joined in on the laughter—an uncertain smile touched the corners of Kai's lips.

Kai had joined them for the last ten minutes of the Shauto lesson, sitting on the floor next to the row of folding chairs and listening. He was not called on, nor was he acknowledged much, which seemed to suit Kai just fine.

All the Ninja had noticed with some gratification that his hair was up in his signature kicky do. It was an utter relief after staring at the unsettlingly long hair around his shoulders for a few days. They could still tell that Kai was not himself, but it wasn't as in-your-face when his hair was up.

Even if his bangs hung a little lopsidedly over his right eye, and his spikes were hair-sprayed to a fine point, as opposed to the teased fray he usually maintained.

"Ahem. Right. Well, what do we do now?" Lloyd said after a pause.

"I have to say," Cole replied, "I'm interested in this schedule Zane's talking about. Shall we go take a look?"

There was a collective murmur of agreement. Then a loud _crash!_ from the Control Room diverted Ninja their attention.

"What the heck?" Lloyd said.

Someone gave a shout of alarm. The Ninja needed no encouragement—they all took off for the Control Room.

Jay hoped fervently that the scenario with Amilia just earlier that day would not replay itself—but when December rushed out of the room, an unconscious woman in her arms, he knew the wish was vain.

"What's going on?" Lloyd exclaimed, and December made an apologetic noise as she swept past him.

Jay recognized the unconscious woman in a surge of shock and panic.

"I have to get Mrs. Walker to the infirmary," December said, setting off at a swift trot down the hall.

_Ma._

It finally sank in, and Jay shoved past Cole and Lloyd and shot down the corridor to meet the Amid girl as she turned into the infirmary. "Ma!" he cried, desperate to peer around December, who set Edna Walker down on the closest bed.

"_Ma!_ December, what happened?"

"Your mother fought the Hidein," December said briskly, running to the cabinets and flinging the doors open.

Jay felt his lungs collapse, winded, as if December had kicked him in the stomach. "Wh-why—? What do you mean, she fought the Hidein? December!"

The Amidian girl returned from the cabinets and dumped an armful of medicines onto the mattress. "She's going to be fine, Jay," she snapped, fixing Jay with a glare that reminded him sharply of her brother. "We can't Heal her until she wakes up, but her wound was treated early. She's in _no danger_, you hear me?"

Then, in a softer tone, she said, "Get yourself together, Jay. Breathe."

Jay glanced down. The bandages around Edna's stomach were saturated with blood, her features drained of all color.

Jay wanted to scream.

He gritted his jaw, squeezed his eyes shut, let out a low, controlled breath. Then December tapped him, and he opened his eyes to see her holding out a small white peppermint.

"Eat it," she said, dropping it into Jay's hands as he reached out reflexively to catch it.

Jay glared first at the sweet, then at December. "You're kidding, right?"

"Just eat the stupid candy!" December said, exasperated. Jay tossed the peppermint into his mouth and crunched, helplessly frustrated as December readied a syringe, filling it with a clear liquid and swabbing Edna's arm with a cotton ball.

A hand on his shoulder made him whip around.

His father stood behind him, pale, but smiling. "Don't worry, son," he said softly.

"Pa!" Jay said, swallowing the mint. He hesitated, glancing to December, who injected transparent liquid into Edna's arm and politely ignored him.

Then he flung his arms around his father, squeezing earnestly. "Pa... Pa, you fought the Hidein? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. We're both gonna be okay, son, don't you go worrying now."

Jay felt a shiver tingle up and down his spine as Ed's hand ruffled tenderly through his hair.

"Oh, Jay, you're safe..."

He was then seized with a sweet, swelling nostalgia that made him clutch his father tighter. He didn't understand _anything_ that was happening—being in his father's arms made an acute sense of fear surface out of his desperate anger. His Pa held him so dearly, so fervently...

Ed pulled back and kissed Jay's forehead. "_Jay_, _you're safe_."

Jay was grateful that December pretended not to notice when Jay sniffled a little bit.

Then he swallowed the awful lump in his throat, and they released each other. "What were you doing, fighting the Hidein, Pa?" Jay said. "And how come you were with December?"

"December helped us... beat the Hidein," Ed managed. Jay realized just how pained his father's smile was.

"Pa, what's wrong?"

Ed did not reply. His gray eyes met Jay's, then flickered away—Jay opened his mouth to repeat himself when December spoke.

"The battle didn't exactly have a great turnout," she said. "Your parents, Lloyd's parents, and Sensei Wu all made it out."

Jay sputtered. "_Sensei_—? They were all with you?"

"They traced your disappearance back to the Hidein and went after them. I happened to be there, completing a NinjaGo City patrol."

"And it was a good thing she was," Ed said, "otherwise we wouldn't have been able to get a hold of you or the Five." He rubbed Jay's shoulder gently, prompting Jay to study his father's expression even closer. "And we might not have survived our encounter."

"Wait," Jay said, stomach constricting. "You said—but what about Nya? Where is she?—She's with you, right?"

December hesitated.

"Nya didn't make it out."

That kicked the air from Jay's chest once more.

"_Didn't make it out_?" he repeated, voice splitting, fists clenching as grief and shock seized his stomach without warning.

"She disappeared," December said in a level voice, eying Jay uneasily.

"_She_ disappeared?! What do you mean, she _disappeared_?"

"Jay," Ed said, catching his son by the elbow and firmly turning him to look into Ed's eyes. "Don't panic, now, son. You hear me? We're gonna figure this out."

_Nya! _

"Jay, _stop_."

Jay had trouble obeying. But an overwhelmed confusion, combined with the stern, steel gray of Ed's gaze and his own efforts to obey, sewed his mouth shut.

_Nya... Nya... _

It didn't stop his heart from pounding so hard that it hurt, or his entire frame to break out in a cold sweat, or the swelling behind his eyes that threatened tears.

"Where is she?" he whispered.

"Hidoi consumed her," Ed said slowly, holding Jay down by the shoulders so that he couldn't freak out. "The Hidein used his magic and she disappeared. Don't worry, December said that Gahiji could explai—"

Ed was interrupted by not only Jay's outraged shout, but a yell that echoed through the hallway outside the infirmary. December looked up, then bolted from the room, leaving the empty syringe and needle on the bed beside Edna.

"Kai?" Jay whispered, at the same time as the bottom dropped out of his stomach.

Ed glanced from him to the doorway. "Don't worry, Jay," he said. "I know things look bad—well, to be frank, they _are_ bad—but just remember Hone. Whatever you do, don't freak out."

Jay felt even sicker.

"Pa," he said, "I'm not learning Hone."

Ed paused. "You're not?"

"No."

"... Then..." Ed put his hand on Jay's chest, above his heart.

"Think of Shauto."

Jay stared at his father. "Pa, I—"

"Trust me."

_Trust you? What is _Shauto_ going to do? Nya is _gone_! _

Desperation clawed at Jay's nausea, and he looked away from his father, that frigid dread spreading to numb every other part of him. _Who even knows if she's dead or alive? _

_... Gahiji knows,_ he realized, as his Pa sprinted after December and out of the room.

Somehow, this didn't make Jay feel any better.

* * *

Down, Control Room

5:10 PM

* * *

Gahiji had been confused enough as it was by December's abrupt teleportation into the Control Room and then back out. When she reappeared with five other people, who all simultaneously tripped over the absolute chaos of boxes and papers on the Control Room's floor, Gahiji's mood had taken a turn for the worse.

He clasped his sister's arm before she could tip over, too—which would have been a disaster, considering she held an unconscious woman in her arms.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

"The Walkers and the Garmadons are here," December said offhandedly. "'Scuse me, _braht_, I have to get Mrs. Walker to the infirmary."

Gahiji looked down at the old woman in December's arms, and to his surprise, he recognized her—the thin brow, pretty crow's feet at the corners of her eyes and graying cocoa hair of Mrs. Walker was so startlingly familiar that it took a half second for him to recover.

Then he shut his mouth and let go of December, pointing wordlessly to an overturned crate beside them.

December flashed him a smile. She leapt on top of the crate and back down the other side, skipping the mess of papers on the ground, where London was helping their visitors regain balance in the midst of the kerfuffle. She ran past the Ninja at the door—Jay gave a cry and shot down the hall after her.

Gahiji turned and grabbed the extended wrist of an old man in a wide-brimmed, flaxen sedge hat, hoisting him to his feet without much effort on Gahiji's part. The old man, Gahiji was surprised to find, he _also_ recognized—Sensei Wu's full, snowy beard and a pair of emerald eyes smiled thankfully at him beneath the hat.

"Are you alright, sir?" Gahiji said, helping the old man straighten. Sensei Wu looked less than enthused—his back creaked as he stood, and he grimaced.

"I will be," he said, tone exasperated. "In a moment."

Then Lloyd barreled into the room, promptly tripping over a box of files. It took Kai and Cole both tumbling over him to stifle the flow of people entering the Control Room, who all peered anxiously in at the confusion.

Gahiji groaned.

"Lloyd!" Two of the newcomers shouted, and he recognized them as Garmadon and Misako. The couple stumbled around boxes to grab their son's hand and pull him out of the pile of Ninja.

Gahiji gave up being surprised that he recognized people.

_This is ridiculous,_ Gahiji thought. It was as bad as if the floor had suddenly been covered with ice—everyone needed help standing. Growling, Gahiji dealt a blow to each crate of information in turn, sending them soaring backwards to the walls. Not a neat row, but close enough; London couldn't quite get on his case.

At least now people could stand without falling over.

"Everyone calm down," London said futilely from where she stood by the doorway, assisting Cole and Kai in standing up from where they had been entangled miserably on the floor.

Gahiji turned to the Control Room's screen and closed the rest of the windows, ignoring the great confusing reunion taking place in the rest of the room, even though there were shouts of excitement and relief as people embraced each other.

_Honestly_. Gahiji didn't think all this confusion was necessary. Everyone else seemed to, though, so he just waited as they fumbled and shouted for clarity. He would rejoin them when they had decided to be cohesive.

"_Where's Nya?_" Kai shouted over the commotion. His words put a sudden halt to all the happy, bewildered shouting and jumping—everyone stopped and stared at him.

"She—she was with us," Misako started. She didn't continue, at a loss for what to say.

"It was Hidoi," Garmadon managed in her place. He, too, was having trouble explaining. "The Hidein cast some sort of spell, and Nya disappeared."

_Hidoi?_

Gahiji whirled.

"She just _disappeared_?" Nikolai repeated. He, Zane, Azamat and Amilia stood in the doorway. "How so?"

"There was black everywhere," Wu offered. "The man—he said his name was Timur—he used a sort of dark power that covered both he and Nya, and they disappeared. The other Hidein were gone when we went back for them, too."

Gahiji's mind raced. _Disappeared... _

His hand went to his right arm reflexively.

He knew _exactly_ what had happened.

Gahiji's gaze shifted to the Master of Fire.

Kai looked ready to throw up. He made no sound, his eyes wide—his frame shook uncontrollably.

_Oh, please. _Gahiji narrowed his eyes._ He can't have gone into shock. _

But that seemed to be exactly what had happened. Kai's amber eyes glazed. Cole and Zane both took him by the arms, saying his name urgently. "Kai, are you alright?"

Kai gritted his teeth and pushed them off. "I'm _fine_."

_I need to get out of here, _Gahiji thought.

He frowned at the inclination. He couldn't think of a reason _why_—at least, not one that mattered enough to follow up on the thought.

December appeared in the doorway again, with an old man beside her. _Ed._ His white hair frizzed in many different directions, dark grime smeared down the side of his face, and his expression was touched with distress.

"What happened?" December said urgently.

"We're still trying to figure that out," London said. She looked just as frazzled as Ed did, pale enough to stand in as a painter's blank canvas.

_I _need_ to get out of here. _

Gahiji couldn't figure out why he wanted to leave. What was filling him with so much apprehension? So much frustration?

Then he realized that his hand was shaking.

Gahiji cursed silently. _Why now? _he thought, though he knew perfectly well the answer.

The runes on his neck down to the inscriptions on his ankle itched more intensely than they had for a long time. The memories of Hidoi spinning through his thoughts, the confusion in the room, and the look on Kai's face—each screamed at him, bearing on his will and _strengthening Hidoi_.

Gahiji took his wrist in his other palm. _I've recalled too much, _he realized, gritting his teeth._ Don't think about Hidoi... but I... _

He bit his lip, clenched his jaw.

_... Can't... stop..._

_I knew this would happen._

Recalling instances of power, terror, pain, sheer indulgence, beautiful elation, the taste of blood—

Gahiji shut his eyes.

He licked his lips.

_This_ was why he couldn't touch those memories. When Hidoi was permanently inscribed on his skin, the risk of remembering was too acute.

But it was his own fault... trying to help Amilia, even studying just the _surface_ of images and emotions from his time served as a weapon, was dangerous enough to tempt him.

_I need to cool off. _

Ed caught sight of him. The old man's mouth dropped clean open, his eyes widening.

"Gahiji," he whispered.

Gahiji suddenly thought of another reason why he needed to leave.

He twitched. _Don't hug me. _Please_, don't_. His skin crawled irrationally at the very idea.

But Ed didn't hear Gahiji's silent plead—he slipped past the Ninja, cleared two crates in one leap and crash-landed into Gahiji, throwing his arms around the Amidian.

"Gahiji!" he said. "You're _alive_!"

Gahiji was inclined to shove him off and punch him in the stomach—but he refrained, scowling, reminding himself of Mr. Walker's sheer relief and joy before he snapped.

Though he hardly needed to. Ed's grip on his neck was tight enough to leave a mark if he embraced Gahiji much longer.

Ed pulled back. The Amidian barely stopped himself from giving an audible sigh of relief.

"Gahiji, where have you been?" Ed demanded, a note of despair in his tone that, despite everything, Gahiji felt sharply in his chest.

Then Ed grasped Gahiji's hands, saw the tattoos, and yanked the Amidian's sleeve back. "What is this? _Gahiji_?"

Gahiji yanked himself from Ed's hands, pulling his sleeve back down and snapping, "Now is not the time."

The look in Ed's eyes severed something in Gahiji. They trailed to Gahiji's hair—the Amidian lifted his hand to shield the shoulder-length white locks before Ed could touch those, too.

"No," Ed whispered.

Then he gave a deep, broken groan. "That _is_ where you went. _Gahiji_..."

"Gahiji!" came the soft call from the doorway. Gahiji was sure that it was someone else come to smother him; but it was London. "Gahiji, will you fetch Jay from the infirmary?"

Lloyd and Cole both opened their mouths, probably to offer to do it for him, but Gahiji skirted Mr. Walker and was out the door before a word could be uttered in opposition.

He flexed the fingers of his Hidoi-engraved hand, a shiver of solace touching his spine, as he smoothed the itch firmly away from the markings with his Shauto-engraved hand. Light glimmered from the Connection Rivers in a diffused malachite glow, then from the stronger, glassy illumination of his Shield.

Gahiji called upon Shauto just to immerse himself in it. His Shield's aura cast a glitter of iridescence across the semi-reflective walls of Down's hallway and ordered silence from the incessant whining of the Hidoi.

He sighed in relief. Hidoi no longer prickled for attention.

Gahiji turned into the infirmary and stuck his head in the door, dampening the glow of his Shield. "Hey, Walker."

Jay looked up, his blue eyes' inquisition crippled by a storm of miserable anxiety, shoulders held rigidly back when he saw Gahiji in the doorway. His hand clamped to Edna's sallow palm.

"You're needed in the Control Room," Gahiji said flatly.

He didn't expect Jay to move, and therefore he was perfectly prepared when the Blue Ninja responded, "I can't leave Ma."

"I understand," Gahiji replied, "_however_."

Jay's gaze met his steadily.

Gahiji let his head rest against the doorframe. "Let your mother rest," he suggested, in a tone as devoid of emotion as he could make it. "Come."

Jay thrust his jaw to one side, beginning to shake his head, then stopped. He eyed Gahiji. _Distrustfully,_ Gahiji realized, even as Jay's hand slipped out of Edna's and he joined the Amidian in the doorway.

He was tempted to smile.

_The Ninja know danger when they meet it._

* * *

**A/N: I'll leave it to you to decide what you think of Gahiji. **


	34. Abomination's Delight

Abomination's Delight

* * *

Povelitel's Chambers

* * *

Zakhar lay on the floor, unconscious, scuffed and bleeding.

Soren crouched beside him, stroking the Hidein's black hair from a pale forehead. The only light in his father's chambers, as usual, was the light from the android's eyes.

Povelitel clicked one foot to the floor, dragging it across the stone. He did that when he was annoyed.

"I am disappointed," he said at last.

Soren continued brushing Zakhar's hair back, keeping his lips pursed and his thoughts to himself as much as he could.

Zakhar was a good apprentice. He was quick, serious, and eager. He treated the other Siniy with respect, and looked out for each of them. He knew Hidoi's theory, he knew how to use it, and he tried his best to keep his teammates safe and organized; to follow Eboni's lead.

All of this, and he was still denied...

Soren could imagine the sting.

Soren tilted Zakhar's jaw. The man's long eyelashes were folded over each other, thin brow furrowed from restless dreams. Soren rubbed the dried blood from his ear. _He has always had a rebellious streak,_ he admitted to himself. _Hotheaded. A need to be the best, the highest... but I suppose it runs in his family. _

"His envy of the Samurai's destiny is complete," Povelitel mused aloud. "What a weakness... what a strength."

Soren picked up Zakhar's limp, scaled hand, inspecting it. The scales encrusting his forearms were slick with blood. _He really did attempt to kill the Samurai X,_ Soren thought, turning Zakhar's fingers over in his own.

"What would you do with such an apprentice?" Povelitel inquired.

Soren stared down at Zakhar, swished his cloak around himself, pressed his thick, fur collar closer to his neck, and tapped his platform boots to the floor.

"I would make something of his jealousy," Soren said. "There is more in wait for him than disgrace, father."

"You do what you see fit, Soren," Povelitel said. He sounded despondent, violet eyes flickering in irritation. "The City is no longer ours. Consider that, before you neglect punishment."

"I will not neglect punishment, but I don't want to dispose of him. He is strong."

Povelitel _mm_ed.

Soren paused. "Father, if I may," he said at last.

"Speak." Povelitel rested his head against the wall, gazing dully at Soren.

Soren crossed his arms over his chest and cleared his throat. "I present the thoughts of all four of my apprentices to you," he began, "along with my own, when I say it seems… illogical, to train a new Hidein. May I ask, what is so important about the Samurai X, that she be the Hidoimastaa?"

Povelitel gave a low thrumming sound. A _hmm_.

"I require my cloak," he said at last.

Soren dipped his head. He unhooked the black fabric from the wall and approached his father, who pulled his six legs close to each other and bowed his head to let Soren throw the cloak over him.

"Why not Zakhar, or Pyoter, or Liv, or Eboni?" Soren's voice softened as he spoke his daughter's name. "My apprentices have, all four of them, quick minds. I have seen firsthand their brilliance."

Soren tossed both ends of the cloak over his "shoulders", arranging the fabric until it hung smoothly down his back. "I don't suggest that we cannot train her," he said, "now that we have her. She is smart and strong and able. But don't we want the Hidoimastaa as soon as possible? It took a year for Krovimastaa to reach his peak—less time than my Siniy have been training. Any one of them could serve beautifully."

Povelitel's head tilted, and he rested it against Soren's as Soren adjusted the cloak's fit. "Dear boy," he said quietly, "I don't believe you know how important Nya is to me."

_Nya. _

Soren felt a tug in his chest as Povelitel removed his cold, metal forehead from Soren's. The Samurai's name... this was the first time Povelitel had used it.

"Nya Galdaichin," Soren said quietly. He fluffed the cloak once, then let it settle around Povelitel's form. "What a pretty name."

Povelitel shifted. His voice rang with interest and pleasure. "Is that so?" he said. "What does 'pretty' mean to you, dear boy? Why do you use that word?"

"'Pretty'?" Soren repeated nervously. He ducked his head and stepped in front of Povelitel, fastening the top latch of his father's cloak. "It means nothing, father. The name... gave me a strange inclination. I thought the word 'pretty' was adequate to describe my feelings." He knelt to fasten the rest. "... Was that wrong of me?"

Povelitel didn't answer for a moment. Each clasp Soren closed _click_ed softly.

"Inclination?" he said finally, his voice reverberating with that same mechanical intrigue as before. "So you felt that, too."

Soren's gloved fingers slipped. He caught hold of the hook again, biting his lip - he remembered the tug in his chest that he had felt, upon hearing her name. _Father felt it? _

Povelitel laughed. It was a false laugh—the laugh of a machine. Deliberate, slow, monotonous, broken; but it was a laugh, nonetheless.

Soren narrowed his eyes. Everything about his father's voice had been carefully duplicated, each pattern, rise and fall, had been coordinated to suit his voice as it had always been, if mechanized.

Except his laugh.

Soren wondered why he hadn't wanted laughter tailored to his new form, as well as his voice and soul.

"You are maturing, my son," Povelitel said.

"Maturing?" Soren glanced away as he closed the last clasp, a little hurt. "I am… hardly a child, father."

"Don't mistake my meaning," Povelitel said softly, catching Soren's hand in his own. Four metal fingers smoothed across the skin of Soren's palm. "You are mature in mind and in body. I merely meant that you know truth when you hear it."

Soren lifted his head, staring up at his father inquisitively. "Truth?"

Povelitel blinked slowly. His iron eyelids slid over bright, entertained eyes. "Yes," he said, "truth."

Soren rose to his feet. "Does this... _truth_... pertain to me?" he asked. "Meaning, is it pertinent to my nature as a Fragment?"

"It is."

He frowned. "Father… How far am I permitted to pursue this topic?"

Povelitel's eyes drooped, daring Soren to press further.

Soren clutched his father's hand tighter. "This truth... what does Nya have to do with the Fragments? Why is she so important to you, father? What does she have that the other Siniy don't?"

"Blood."

A pause.

"Blood," Soren repeated with a huff. "... That is a rather vague answer."

"Is it?" Povelitel sounded amused. "And yet, the mere word that it is says exactly what I want it to. Nya is of the Galdaichin line; that is all of importance."

Soren's eyes narrowed. "Forgive me, father, but her blood relations don't seem to be the only factor of importance. If that were true, why use Nya instead of Eboni, who is also your kin?"

Povelitel removed his hand from Soren's and turned from him. "Krovimastaa was an accident from the beginning. You know this?"

Soren fought the urge to scowl, stifled a sigh. _Would it kill you answer a question straight, for once?_ he thought sourly. "Of course, father."

"Gahiji was not meant to become Hidoimastaa." The tip of Povelitel's metal leg drummed the floor. "Yes, he was an impressive demonstration of what Hidoi can do... I remember it now... but Krovimastaa's appearance severed a tie in NinjaGo's story. In _our_ story."

"This is all true—however, it has nothing to do with why you neglect Eboni," Soren said.

Povelitel paused. "You sound so concerned for her, Soren," he said with a mechanical chuckle. "Eboni is not standing at the door. You need not act for me."

Soren stiffened. "No, no, I wasn't—"

He stopped. Wasn't _what_? Wasn't acting? He hadn't meant to sound singularly interested in Eboni's future. He exhaled, tapping the floor with his boot, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Well, what _does_ Krovimastaa have to do with this venture of yours?"

"Be patient, child."

Soren realized his tone was rising in both intensity and volume. Miffed at his own disrespect, he bit his lip and glanced at the floor. "Forgive me," he said softly. "I simply… Eboni…" He squeezed his eyes shut. "Sorry."

Povelitel tipped his head towards the ceiling, exposing the underside of his metal jaw, and the bolts and gears in his neck. He contemplated for a moment. "Soren, this is a puzzle."

Soren resisted the temptation to roll his eyes, even though he knew Povelitel couldn't see him.

"I hand you all the pieces, and yet, you refuse to put it together."

"I… em, I dislike puzzles, father." Soren fiddled with his sleeves apologetically.

Finally, Povelitel huffed. Because he could not actually breathe, the robotic equivalent was a brittle static. "Nya Galdaichin has the capability to become a creature of terrible power. True, absolute, complete power." His violet eyes narrowed a slit. "If we intend to keep NinjaGo when this is all over, she and her potential must belong to us."

"If I may," Soren said quietly, after a pause, "What potential do you speak of?"

Povelitel laughed; again, it was a rough, emotionless, whirring laugh.

"_My_ potential," he said.

Soren shut his mouth.

Povelitel kept laughing, but when Soren tried to match his emotion, he could find nothing but gut-wrenching terror. He swallowed hard; the gulp was dry, the walls of his throat sticking each to each other and burning.

Soren clenched his fists, wondering if he dared to ask. "And your potential... is…?"

Povelitel's mirth finally faded into the echoes of the chamber. He closed his eyes, throwing the room in complete darkness—Soren froze in the pitch black.

"Do you see them, Soren?" Povelitel whispered.

Soren drew his cloak tighter, folding his arms across his chest apprehensively. It took a moment to regain composure.

"They are shy tonight, father," he admitted wearily. "I cannot see them."

Povelitel made a sound like a slow, serene exhale. The sound crunched as it came out of his mechanical filter. "Come here," he called to the darkness. "It's only Soren and I. Don't hesitate."

He opened his eyes, filling the room with violet light once more, and spread his arms. "_Idi syuda_," he said, beckoning.

"_Come here._"

Little white specks blinked to life in the corners of the room.

Whisperers hummed softly, warily, the mists of their existence fluttering in the glow of empty eyes. They regarded Soren inquisitively, tiny shadows shifting, whispering among themselves, like a crowd of suspicious children.

"You remember Soren, don't you?" Povelitel asked them, knowing full well that they didn't. "He is my son. He is of me, remember?"

"Father," Soren said, swishing his cloak closer to his boots as the Whisperers approached him. He didn't mind them too terribly, but disliked when they touched him, fingering his boots with their little black paws. "Are you going to answer me?"

"I am not," Povelitel said. He turned to Soren, still holding his arms outstretched. "Soren. My boy."

Soren hesitated. Then he stepped into his father's embrace, wrapping his arms around the android, hands resting lightly on his back.

Povelitel's body was incomplete and jutted at odd angles, but its upper torso was remarkably similar to a human's. His cold, gauntleted arms blanketed Soren with his cloak, which stretched over to cover them both.

Soren felt another tug. The pull of truth.

Truth was here, in Povelitel's arms, he realized.

_I really am his son..._

_His son. _

Soren squeezed his eyes shut.

"Father," he murmured into Povelitel's cloak. His voice was thick with a low, throbbing ache—he swallowed before continuing. "What need have you for another Fragment, when you have me?"

_Am I not enough? _he thought, gritting the pain._ Do you need something more? Something different? _

_Something with no doubts?_

"Soren." Povelitel's voice was firm, but affectionate. "This new Fragment is your brother. I have felt him pulling at me for a long time. He wished to be alive, and so I set him free. Do not begrudge him that."

_You... set him free? _

Soren held his father tighter.

_But what about _me_?_ he wanted to say, as he let his head fall on Povelitel's cloaked shoulder, biting his lips against a pain that was so real and so restless, listening to the Whisperers gathering around Zakhar's inanimate form.

_What about _my_ freedom? _

* * *

The first thing Nya felt was darkness.

It was so thick as to be suffocating, like she was underwater. When she sat up, the air parted around her like liquid, warm gel that she could make currents in when she lifted her arms and traced her hand through the profound darkness. She couldn't see her fingers when she held them in front of her eyes, wiggling them in the fog of black.

… Where _was_ she?

No matter what she did, she couldn't see anything around her. The wall was warm; stone. The floor was warm, too, a gritty rock that rubbed her skin and left sand between her toes.

She noticed that she wasn't fully dressed. When she lifted her hands to her torso, she found a rough, long-sleeved shirt, stuck to her sweat uncomfortably, but nothing more than this. Why was she so unbearably warm?

And there were the voices.

Murmuring.

Muttering.

Singing.

_Whispering. _

What terrifying company, those voices. Struggling to think coherently, Nya tried to remember how she got here.

She remembered burning; twice, she had been on fire. Both times, it had been because of Hidein. The first time, it was that strangely Serpentine man, with the yellow eyes, the taste of which had been cold and metal from his piercings.

The second time was when the man without a leg sent her here.

That's right... To this dark, searing, whispering place.

_Who_ was making that _noise_? Were there people in the room with her? There had to be at least twenty people... if not thirty... or forty. The more she listened, the louder the voices seemed to get.

Nya reached for her shoes, where she kept her fans, then remembered that her shoes were gone—the voices grew fretful, more intense, anxious.

"_Samurai... samurai?_"

Nya jumped. "Who's there?" she said.

The whispers didn't seem bothered by her question. "_Samurai, samurai?_" they said.

"_Samurai...?_"

Nya clenched her fists. The louder the voices grew, the easier it was to discern what words were filling her head. It sounded like a video on repeat, or an audio recording glitching over a pair of dying headphones, tinny, repetitive, some voices pitched, some sped up until they gibbered unintelligibly.

"_She is the samurai, oh? Oh, she is the samurai._"

"_The samurai,_" another whisper echoed.

"_She's here, oh? Oh? The Samurai? Oh?_"

"_Oh?_" another responded, an echo of the same voice coming from somewhere else.

"_Oh, yes, ohyes, samurai. Thesamuraisamurai._"

"Nya."

Nya jumped at the sound of her name, spoken clear over the babble. A man's voice. Still hushed, but louder than all the other voices put together.

"Nya Galdaichin. _Nya-nya-nya._" The voice stuttered mechanically, soaring a few notes. "_N-n-n-nya. Nyaahh._" It smoothed back out.

"... What a pretty name."

Then the man's voice dimmed and disappeared back into the hiss of the murmur, which started echoing that voice, almost in a pleased manner.

"_What a prrretty naa-aame._"

Like a child sounding out a new word.

"_Pretty name, oh? Oh, prettyname._"

Nya drew her knees to her chest, gritting her teeth against a shout of fear. Was this her own mind, supplying these voices? Why could she hear them? What was going on?

"Is that so?"

Another voice took the narrative, and the others mimicked it with their own stumbling attempts at the sentence.

It was a voice that Nya was frightened to find that she recognized. Why did it sound familiar? Whose voice was this?

"What does 'pretty' mean to you, dear boy? Why do you use that word?" Its tone was almost jeering.

"_What-t does? Pretty, oh? Dear boy—That word—Soren, w-w-w-w-why?_" the other voices gleefully sputtered.

_What is this...?_ Nya straightened a bit. _A conversation?_ _Is _that_ what I'm hearing? _

"'Pretty'?" It was the first voice, the one that sounded human. "It means nothing, father. The name... gave me a strange inclination. I thought the word 'pretty' was adequate to describe my feelings."

"_Inclination. Incli—incli—hehe, inclination. What a pretty name_."

Nya realized, with a surge of terror, who was talking.

It was the darkness that held her.

The darkness closed in on her, embracing her, caressing her, crawling over every inch of her. It was _alive_, and it murmured, muttered, sang.

_Whispered_.

Nya screamed and flailed, trying to dislodge the creatures, but her hands went straight through them, like they would through air. She could do nothing to deny them, as they gathered in a mist around her, frothing and pulsing as they prodded curiously.

"Was that wrong of me?" the man asked, his voice echoing above that of the Whisperers' voices.

"Inclination?" The second voice said. "So you felt that, too."

"_Felt that?_" the Whisperers imitated."_Too—too—too, oh? Oh, too. Dearboy._"

Nya whimpered, rubbing her arms, kicking her legs, shaking her head desperately. The Whisperers only followed her, inspecting strands of her hair with tiny, black, gelatinous hands, tickling her feet, curling around her legs, nuzzling against her neck with gentle coos of twisted affection.

"_So pretty, oh?_" they said. "_Samurai? So pretty... Oh, pretty name._"

And then the second voice laughed. It was a chilling laugh. A false laugh—the laugh of a machine, deliberate, slow, broken.

Nya felt her heart drop._ No—don't—!_

And all the Whisperers burst into laughter.

"_Ha—ha—ha—!_" they shouted. "_Hehehe—ha ha—HAAAA!_"

"_Hahaha! H-AH-AH-A! Chhhht cht cht!_" The voices split, glitched, pitched to terrifying notes, sped up, screaming with laughter, hysterically grinding on each other, cackling like a broken record on repeat. "_Hehe? Haha, oh? Oh, HAHAHA!_"

Nya threw her hands over her ears. "No," she breathed.

Louder. Higher. Lower. Everywhere.

"_Hahaha, pretty name, Nya! H-a-aa-a-ahahaha!_"

All closing in on her.

Suffocating.

Burning.

"_GAAAAHAHAHAA!_"

A door opened, and the Whisperers broke off, leaving Nya sobbing in complete silence.

The blackout almost echoed. Nya could hear only her own breathing, erratic, thick with tears, and the sound of her heart thudding in terror.

She lifted her head. Then she squinted; the light pouring in from the open doorway was almost blinding. The tears in her eyes blinked away, leaving tracks down her cheeks, but no longer wetting her eyelashes with new terror.

It was a lantern, she realized. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the light, but then she saw someone holding it. Two people. No, three...? Nya flattened herself against the wall, pulling her shirt over her knees.

Two Hidein stood in the doorway, masked, holding in their arms a limp figure.

Nya stared up at them in silence. _Why are they just standing there...?_

The figure in their arms pitched forward and hit the floor with a _thud_.

The woman didn't move as the two others stepped into the room. By the lantern's light, Nya could see the woman's back; slick, scarlet with blood and grime, her entire frame trembling in weakness and agony.

Nya's eyes widened. _First Spinjitzu Master...!_

One of the masked men hooked the lantern to the wall. The Hidein's eyes glittered as they stepped back into the hall, catching hold of the door.

"Sleep well, Eboni," one of them said. He tossed a roll of white bandages onto the floor, where it bounced and rolled until it came to a halt next to Nya.

Nya choked. _Eboni? This is—?_

The door slammed, and the Hidein's laughter echoed down the hall.

Nya stared, breathless, at the woman on the ground, unable to move or speak. Then she crawled towards her on her hands and knees.

"Eboni?" she whispered.

The woman choked on a sob. Her back was a pattern of lashes and small punctures, crisscrossed, blood gleaming black over her skin. Her hair shielded her face as she struggled to support herself on her elbows.

Nya grabbed her hand to help her up, even though she was numb with shock. "E-Eboni," she managed. "What happened? Why are you so hurt?"

Eboni grunted, then stifled a shout of pain._ She can't move,_ Nya realized. _She hurts too much. _

Nya took her by the wrists, then let go, feeling more blood wet her hands. "Overlord," she breathed, catching Eboni by the chest before she collapsed again. "What did they do to you?"

She helped the woman to a sitting position. By doing so, she noticed that she, too, ached all over. Her arms shook as she supported Eboni.

Eboni groaned. Nya released her when she could maintain balance without falling over; the Samurai gritted her teeth, seeing the full extent of Eboni's wounds. Her shirt was torn down the front, stained crimson, and vicious bruises stood out on her collarbone and stomach. Her arms and legs were riddled with long marks, some bleeding, some swollen pink.

"Eboni..."

Nya was tired, shaken, scared and confused. _So_ confused. But she couldn't let Eboni bleed out. She seized the bandages and unwound a length of white gauze, leaning down to peel Eboni's shirt away.

"Hey, let me help you," Nya said, when Eboni shoved her away. "Come on. You'll bleed to death."

Eboni couldn't resist Nya further, though her expression pinched with pain and fury. Nya grabbed Eboni's shirt at the collar and tore it, separating the fabric completely into two and tugging it off. She used one piece to mop the blood off of Eboni's back, ignoring Eboni's cry of distress when she did so.

Eboni groaned and sobbed in protest every time Nya touched her. She turned and clenched her fists against the wall, gritting her teeth as Nya wrapped the gauze around her stomach and back.

Nya swallowed hard. "Who did this to you? Was it the other Hidein?"

Eboni whimpered as Nya pulled the bandage firm and knotted it. There was only about a yard left when Nya finished; she severed it in the middle and wrapped both of Eboni's wrists. The woman held her hands out for her to reach, hanging her head so Nya couldn't see the tears dripping into her lap.

"Why would they throw you in here?" Nya asked, tightening the first bandage. "Hey..."

Eboni rested her head against the wall, holding her shoulders at a wooden angle. She didn't answer Nya, only turned her body away from her and steeled her jaw, closing her eyes.

Nya bit her lip. "Um... yeah. Just rest. You'll feel better in the m—uh, when you wake up."

Eboni grunted.

Nya looked around for something to throw over top of Eboni like a blanket, but found nothing but the two bloody strips of fabric that used to be the woman's shirt, so gave up and edged closer to Eboni.

She wanted so badly to press her for answers. She was hopelessly bewildered, _horrified_, that Eboni was this hurt. Was she a prisoner, too? But the moment Nya decided to ask, she realized that Eboni had sunk into a fitful sleep, too exhausted, in too much pain to stay awake.

If only Nya knew Shauto—if only she could Heal Eboni.

Nya bit her lip.

Then she drew her knees back up to her chin and sobbed.

What else could she do? She couldn't sleep now, too disturbed to trust herself to dream. Her heart and senses ached, so full of fear and confusion.

She didn't know where she was, or what was happening, or how long she would be here. She was completely at the mercy of her captors, whoever they were. She wished her brother was here. She wished he and Jay were both here, to hold her, comfort her. She wished she was with the others, that she wasn't here in a dark, hot cell, where her only company was a dying enemy, fading lamplight, and fear of those Whisperers.

Something was going to hurt her.

She could just feel it.

_I'm so afraid... _

She could only be grateful she wasn't alone—and hope the Whisperers didn't come back.


	35. Stifle, Release

Stifle, Release

* * *

The Orrora Mountains

7:40 AM

* * *

Amilia peered over the overhang, making Azamat jump at her in alarm. But when Amilia turned to give him an inquisitive look, he scowled.

"I'm not going to fall off," Amilia said, grinning at him. "You sure are paranoid today."

"Can't think of a reason why," Azamat muttered. "We're perched above a fifty foot drop, after all, and all you were doing was leaning over the side of it. We're good."

Amilia drew her cloak around herself, her breath crystallizing in the mountain air. Her Shauto shield, glowing pale peacock green, shimmered and pulsed faintly around her. Azamat, crouched in the rocks beside her, scanned the mountainscape, eyes shimmering with Shauto.

Amilia huffed. "Well, have you found anything?"

Azamat shook his head. "We're a fair distance from civilization, so we're not going to find many Whisperers. I'm not Seeing anything. Apart from you, and those deer at the foot of the mountain."

"Nothing?"

"Not that I can See."

Azamat rested his cheek in one palm, tracing the designs fluttering inside his Shield with a bored finger, twirling a See stone in the other hand. His soul aura danced cornflower blue with misty bubbles, shot through with marbled streaks of scarlet that twisted around the Shield like a candy cane. His Shauto-white eyes reflected the frosty quality his ambience flaunted.

Amilia inspected her own Shield and grimaced. Maybe it had to do with the new headache she had acquired at breakfast, but the snowy jade solar system of her soul's aura let the sunlight flare through it much too strongly for her taste. Her Shield was faded, almost transparent—more than it should have been.

"December?" Amilia said into her wrist communicator. December "Mm?"ed a response. "My Shield feels... off, this morning. Do you know why?"

"Did you eat breakfast?" came December's question over the wrist communicator. "Hunger could do it. _My_ Shield can't function right when I don't have my morning chocolate."

"Yeah, I ate, but my Shield still feels lacking..."

Azamat smirked. It was his first smile all morning. "You have _morning chocolate_?" he asked December, a tad incredulous. "That sounds really good right now."

December's grin was audible in her reply. "Doesn't it? I can't think straight without my Snickers." She cleared her throat. "But Amilia, I may have activated your Shield incorrectly—do you want me to try again?"

"No, no, it's fine." Amilia sat back, leaning on one arm as she rubbed her forehead fiercely. "Oh, man," she murmured. Her headache caused pain to flare straight through her like a tire down a steep incline—_fast_.

Azamat puffed out his cheeks. "Do you have a headache?" he asked.

"I do," Amilia said with a groan. "Would the two phenomenons be related?"

"I'll bet you a box of butter."

Amilia wondered briefly why Azamat would refer to a box of butter, or why he would _have_ a box of butter he could refer to.

"I'm serious, Amilia," December said through the tinny speaker. "I can reactivate your Shield if you need me to. It's not much of a hassle."

"No, don't trouble yourself. Thanks anyways." Amilia turned to her twin and said, "You still can't see anything?"

"Zip," Azamat said dully. "Nope, nada, nothin'. No Whisperers anywhere."

"Well, that's that." Amilia pulled her teleportation coin out. "On to Ignacia, then?"

Azamat stared at her, reflectively turning the Shauto stone over and over in his gloved fingers. "Yeah," he said, and his gaze fell to the rock in his hands.

Amilia sighed. "Don't dwell on it, Azzy," she said at last. "Leave internal turmoil in Down, and face external turmoil outside of it."

She hadn't meant to sound so blunt. But, thinking her words over, she _had_ meant what she said, and there was no reason why she should take it back. But even so, Azamat's expression flashed between annoyance and sheepishness.

"But I can't," he said at last.

"Why?"

"I'm... well, I'm nervous." Azamat glanced at Amilia's wrist communicator, but there was no way to tell if December was occupied or listening. "I'm worried about Jay. He was pretty freaked out, what with his mom and Kai's sister and everything. And Kai, for that matter—this whole catastrophe has only pushed his recovery date farther away."

_Dang it, Azamat, _Amilia thought, her own concerns resurfacing in a commotion of doubt and hope. _I had this all out of my mind!_

Her head hurt, and she had no patience to deal with any more pain. "I know," she said. "But we'll figure it out when we finish our patrol."

"And all the others. Didn't you see them? None of the Ninja even touched dinner last night. And the Garmadons, and Sensei Wu—and Mr. Walker—"

"I know, I saw. I'll say it again: we'll figure it out when we finish our patrol and get back to Down. I'm worried too. But we can't think about all this now. We have a job to do. We're _saving the world_, Azzy."

Amilia flipped the teleportation coin, offering her twin both a gloved hand and a smile. Azamat's fingers slipped reluctantly into hers.

"Hey, do me a favor," December said. "Can you take the Birds with you?"

The two devices came down to hover in the air in between the twins. Amilia nodded, releasing Azamat's hand to take one of the Birds gently by the underside. "Disengage the propellers," she instructed December, as Azamat caught the other one, holding it anchored against the opposing force of the slowing propellers.

Amilia wiped the Birds' lens clear of condensation, then tapped her elbow to Azamat's arm. "Ready?" she asked her brother, who nodded, pearly eyes glimmering.

Amilia held the teleportation coin to her lips. "Ignacia," she said. The familiar blitz of amber light and warm, mint-scented air swept the twins and the Birds up in a whirlwind.

They flickered into existence about a mile away from Ignacia village, in a rice field.

Amilia blinked against harsh light of early afternoon as Azamat stumbled in the grassy water at their feet. Hills of swishing grass surrounded them, the hot breeze ruffling the twins' hair as they stood in a bowl of earth. In the near distance was a collection of short, straw-looking buildings where farmers crouched in harvest, capped in sedge hats to shield against sun.

"Here we are," Amilia said, gazing up at the clear cerulean sky.

Azamat dusted himself off with two wet hands, miserably surveying his pants, now soaked below the knee with murky water. Amilia slid out of her cloak and tied it around her waist as the Birds reactivated, soaring upwards into the sky.

"And _now_, can you See anything?" she asked her brother, who still glowered with eyes to match a Whisperer's in color.

Azamat looked around. "Hmm," he said dryly. "From our _great_ vantage point, I think I see grass."

Amilia grimaced. "Alright, fine," she said. She pointed past Azamat at the tallest edge of the bowl. "Let's climb that hill. You'll be able to see from up there, right?"

Azamat frowned, but he, too, removed his long-sleeved cloak and knotted it at his waist, airing out his collar with one hand as they started through the rice field.

"Lucky for us we weren't spotted," Azamat commented. "We're kind of in the middle of everything, glowing like fireworks."

"Wouldn't that be strange to see?" Amilia agreed. "I sometimes wonder just how much of a spectacle we make."

They plodded to the top of the hill, puffing when they reached its summit. Amilia's head absolutely throbbed—the transition from frozen Orrora air to that of sultry Ignacia was not doing either of them any favors, and she wanted to flop onto her back in the baked emerald of the grass. But she didn't. She only coughed and wished for a water bottle.

Azamat rested his hands on his hips and huffed, surveying the landscape beyond the secluded bowl they had departed. Fields stretched, lushly chartreuse, across the horizon, flecked with dwellings and ponds that reflected the cloudless sky, making the whole stretch of land seem like a floating island where swaths of earth had broken away.

"Ignacia's doing well," Amilia observed.

"This was the place that got attacked by that whole army of Whisperers a couple months ago?" Azamat asked, whistling.

"Yeah. It's recovered quickly... But you can still see those ruined fields just south of that cluster of houses there."

"Can't fix everything at once," Azamat acknowledged. His white eyes scanned the skyline. Then he grinned. "Great news, Amilia." He pointed. "See that moorland over there?"

"I see it."

"There's two Whisperers stalking a picnic party, and another sunbathing not far from them." Azamat's Shield blazed ultramarine and scarlet with his excitement. "Four over there." His finger swung from one end of the horizon to the other.

Amilia stretched her shoulders. "Great," she said, procuring her Rescue stone from the pouch on her belt. "Split up or take them together?"

Azamat wheeled his own Rescue stone from his belt like a pistol, and his eyes sparked with their own crystal verdancy once again. "Let's stick together," he said, flinging his teleportation coin and snatching it out of the air. He grinned. "The more the merrier, right?"

Amilia smiled back. She looked around for the Birds. "December? Want us to take the Birds again?"

"They're already on their way to the first two Whisperers," December responded. "Flying across a couple miles is a lot easier than across the whole continent."

"Alright." Amilia caught hold of Azamat's arm as the simmering light of Shauto rushed over him. Orange faded back into the greens and blues of Ignacia as they teleported together to the Whisperers.

* * *

Down, Control Room

7:50 AM

* * *

"Good morning, _braht_."

December, seated in the swivel chair, pushed away from the dashboard to lean back and grin at him as he entered the Control Room. "You sure look grumpy," she added in a pleasant tone.

Gahiji grunted, skirting her and tapping the big screen.

December tilted the second and third monitors so she could see the Birds' course as they soared above Ignacia's fields, sliding the controls for both forward as far as they would go. She damped the wrist communicator's channel to talk to her brother without the twins in her ear.

"Have you had chocolate yet?" December suggested, draping her arm over the back of the swivel chair. "Maybe you'd feel better if you had some."

Gahiji shot her a second's worth of a warning glare. He leaned over December to pull his Expedition window down to a level with him, and swept a digital keyboard out of the edge of the screen.

December rifled around in her pockets as Gahiji typed, finally fishing a mini Snickers bar out of her cargo pants. She held it up to him. "Here."

Gahiji eyed it distastefully. "No thank you."

"Aww, come on. I don't share these with just anybody." December tapped his arm with the candy bar.

"_Sestra._" Gahiji turned and put a light hand on the candy bar, pushing it back towards December. His brow was cross, frown resolute. "I don't want it."

December sighed. "Your loss," she said, unwrapping the candy and taking a bite.

On the monitors, the Whisperers appeared as small black smudges in the green. December clenched her candy between her teeth and directed both Birds down to the creatures, guiding the two side-by-side joysticks with her thumb and forefinger while decreasing their altitude with her other hand.

The sunset shimmer of Amilia and Azamat's teleportation appeared on-screen amidst the four Whisperers. All of the shadows shrank back, then screamed in outrage—December could hear it through the quieted speaker of her wrist communicator.

"How is Amilia?" Gahiji inquired suddenly.

December glanced at him. He was looking up the information on Hokori Wyche—December averted her gaze with a stab of guilt.

"She's got another headache," she relayed. "And she says something's up with her Shield."

Gahiji halted in the middle of typing. Then he continued, a little slower. "Elaborate."

"She said it felt 'lacking'. Azamat thinks it's because of her headache." December maneuvered the Birds in a sphere around the scene playing out miles away from where they were now. "Would you agree? Or... is there really something else going on?"

Gahiji didn't answer.

December waited patiently for about a minute before she began to wonder if her brother had heard her. He didn't normally take this long to respond.

"_Braht_?" December studied him. His shoulders were tense, eyes narrow as he leafed through documents on the big screen.

"I'm thinking," he said calmly.

December took the opportunity to raise the volume on the wrist communicator. "What's happening?" she inquired of the twins, watching Whisperers explode out of existence in a shower of green and white sparks on the monitors.

Azamat's shout of pure enjoyment, audible even over the Whisperer's howls, was all the answer she needed.

The printer beneath the dashboard began to whir. Gahiji crossed his arms over his chest and tilted towards December, who lowered the volume on the wrist communicator and faced him intently.

Gahiji's eyes fixed on December's, but at the same time, they were somewhere completely outside of Down.

"I know Hokori intimately," he said. "I know _Hidoi_ intimately. I can't truly answer your question without delving farther than I should back into Hidoi."

December nodded, taking another bite out of the Snickers.

"But I know the change Hokori supposedly wrought on Amilia is not physical." Emphasis was evenly distributed onto each word, making December think twice about their meaning. "Hokori may have done damage to her soul."

December's lips parted in a horrified gape. "What do you mean?"

Gahiji looked like he both didn't know and knew perfectly well at the same time. His eyes searched December's in a despairing, frustrated silence.

_He's holding back so much,_ December realized.

"That's okay," she said finally. She caught his hand and squeezed it, smirking when Gahiji drew back with a grimace. "You don't have to know everything, Gahiji," she added amusedly. "Everyone forgets, remember."

Gahiji took the stack of documents off the printer. "Believe me," he said darkly. "Forgetting Hidoi is not the problem."

He ruffled December's hair once, then left the room.

December frowned. She redirected the Birds to the last Whisperer as Amilia and Azamat sprinted across the rice fields, the water kicked up in their wake flashing emerald and alabaster in the light of their Rescue stones. She tried to piece together her brother's message.

"_Hokori may have done damage to her soul."_

What December knew about Hidoi was what, through the years, Gahiji had implied as he tried to explain things of his past without explaining Hidoi.

Which wasn't much. He was extremely careful not to let Hidoi's function pass his lips.

But December _did_ know that Hidoi burned things.

So the damage Gahiji was talking about... Hokori may have _burned_ Amilia's soul? Which meant, it could still heal? But Gahiji had already tried to Heal her, and it hadn't fixed her pain.

And Gahiji sounded so skeptical that it was Hokori's doing at all. He said "_supposedly_", even though he had _seen_ with his _own eyes_ that it was Wyche. Gahiji had been the one to report what happened. Why would he say "_supposedly_" if he had seen it? Unless he wasn't convinced that it was really Hokori—but Gahiji had identified Wyche himself!

On this same page, Gahiji had said he knew Hokori "_intimately_", that he knew Hidoi "_intimately_". What did he mean? Yes, he obviously meant the literal translation—Gahiji always did—but December could never tell what he was _actually_ talking about when it came to Hidoi. Especially when he took three minutes meditating before answering her question.

_Is there another meaning?_ she wondered. _Why would he say that, if it wasn't to do with the answer to my question? _

_What is he alluding to?_

His answers were too encrypted for December to decipher and oversee the twins' patrol at the same time. She went over each of his words again, memorizing them for later inspection, shoved the rest of her Snickers bar in her mouth, and turned all her attention to the patrol.

* * *

Down, PTR

7:30 AM

* * *

Zane slowed his Spinjitzu until the flakes of frost in his hair melted. He tried to catch his breath, bending over—a sharp, almost dizzying pain jolted his lungs after every inhalation.

"I don't... understand," he panted, "how one who wields the Element of Ice... can overheat so quickly... whilst employing it."

Jay, who was training in the other box, barked a short laugh. Zane pinched his gi between two fingers and fanned it against himself, wiping steamy sweat from his brow. His systems throbbed with misuse.

"I'll switch you out," Lloyd offered to Zane from where he, Cole and Kai sat on the sidelines.

"But you aren't required to perform this exercise," Zane objected. He straightened, hefting his Shauto stone from one hand to the other.

"I'll switch," Cole said, standing. He approached Zane, but he was eying Jay. "What about you?" he asked the Master of Lightning.

Like Zane, Jay's back and shoulders were drenched with sweat. But he waved a bitter hand. "I'm good, I'm good," he said, and starting spinning again, glowing azure.

Zane, relieved, relinquished his own Spinjitzu Box of Doom (dubbed this by Lloyd) to Cole, who thumped him gingerly on the back as he went past. He plopped down next to Kai and took a long swig out of his water bottle, streams of sweat running uncomfortably down his back.

When he was sufficiently watered, he closed his bottle and watched Jay and Cole's Spinjitzu tornadoes spin, intense and radiant in their vigor.

He turned to Kai and Lloyd. The Green Ninja examined the baseball-sized sphere of Shauto he held suspended in his hands intently, closing his eyes every once and awhile.

Kai gazed unblinkingly at the floor a pace ahead of him. His leg bounced at a steady beat and his brow folded wearily over a pair of distant, gold-flecked eyes.

They both looked so tired.

So grieved.

Zane tipped his water bottle back and forth, feeling his heart sink. They were all grieving. They were all tired.

_Oh, Nya._

Kai straightened his legs out over the floor to keep from bobbing his knee.

The quiet between all the Ninja was stifling. Jay's Spinjitzu grew more insistent, blazing white and blue and snapping with an electric fire.

Zane suspected Gahiji knew what had happened to Nya, even though the Amidian had implied nothing of his knowing on the matter. There might have been danger in Gahiji's investigating it, Zane supposed. Hidoi was a fragile subject for _all_ the Five—perhaps there was more than simple sentiment behind the caution.

It didn't change that Gahiji was hiding something.

And it made the Elemental Masters _seethe_.

Zane could feel it, in Kai's eyes—in Lloyd's silence—in Cole's guarded smile—in Jay's eyes, silence, and scowl.

In Zane's own thoughts.

_Nya could be dead._

The sudden earsplitting _boom!_ of thunder from Jay's Spinjitzu tornado shocked Zane from his thoughts.

The blast split the air like a gunshot, sending a shockwave sweeping across everything within a twelve-foot radius—Zane skidded as Cole tumbled out of his Spinjitzu and Kai and Lloyd were both bowled over backwards. The violence of the explosion drove all the Ninja a full three feet from where they had been.

Zane scrambled to his feet alongside Kai. "Jay!" Zane started, but caught sight of the Master of Lightning and broke off.

Jay slid his arm across his mouth, casting string of sweat from the tip of his finger when his arm fell to his side. His jaw clenched, cobalt eyes crackling with the savage passion of his Element.

He stood for a moment, chest heaving, electricity shimmering off his arms and chest like fumes of steam, perspiration-slick hair dripping in his eyes.

"Sorry," he managed.

His voice faltered. He cursed and turned his back to the Ninja, gazing up at the ceiling in exhausted fury, his hands on his hips.

"Overlord," he muttered. "_Overlord_, I hate this..."

Cole swept his brow clear of his hair. "You need to switch," he said firmly. "Get a drink and sit down."

Jay reluctantly stepped out of the training area, gritting his teeth against the complaint he obviously wanted to voice.

Cole turned. "That's you, Kai. You ready for this?"

Kai didn't answer. He stood, catching the Shauto stone that Jay tossed to him, but the look on his face clearly stated that he wasn't at all ready.

Jay plunked down in Kai's absence. Zane slid a water bottle to him. He didn't dare touch Jay—the Master of Lightning still blazed with a flickering static as he drained the container and put his head between his knees.

"You've done this before, haven't you, Kai?" Cole asked the Master of Fire.

Kai opened his mouth, then closed it. Lloyd answered for him.

"Yup," the Green Ninja said. "He did it just yesterday."

Kai nodded as Lloyd said this, giving Cole a slight smile. The Black Ninja swept an arm across his forehead, relieved. "Then you won't have any trouble," he said. "Just making sure."

Zane watched Kai's fingers tighten and loosen around the rock in his gloved hands. Then the Master of Fire gritted his teeth, spread his arms out and braced his feet against the floor. He let out a low breath.

Then he spun.

And kept spinning.

Zane took a breath, attention suddenly completely wrenched from everything except Kai.

_No fire. _

_There's—_

_There's no fire!_

Kai lost his balance and thudded to the floor, crying out.

Not a spark.

_There are no sparks. _

Lloyd, Cole, and Zane all leapt to his aid, catching his outstretched hands and hauling him to his feet. "Kai, what happened?" Cole demanded. "Kai!"

Kai shook his head and growled. "I can't—" His voice shook, but his amber eyes flamed with frustration. "I _can't—_!"

He thrust Lloyd and Zane off and backed up, flinging his arms away from his sides and attempting another spin. He twirled, but there was no fire—no blaze of orange, no ignition—and he stumbled again, catching himself with one foot and skidding to a halt.

Kai's chest inflated and deflated with the beat of Zane's speeding heart.

"No," he muttered. He tried to whirl, but stopped mid-spin, locking his knees before he collapsed. "No, no, no no no..."

_It's not working. _

"Why—? What's—?"

Kai shook his head fiercely, tugging his hair in two desperately clenched fists, shoulders tensing up around him. "My Spinjitzu... it's..."

Zane's heart dropped.

Lloyd reached a hand out to Kai's shoulder, but Kai jerked to avoid him. "Don't touch me," he huffed.

He backpedaled into Cole, who clamped both hands onto his arms and marched him out of the training area.

Kai yelped and struggled in protest. "Let go! Let _go_ of me—!"

"Woah, hey," Cole said, when Kai struggled and finally wrestled himself out of Cole's grip. "Kai. Look at me."

When Kai whirled on Cole, Zane saw his face. His eyes, wide with terror, his brow pinched with dread, and mouth open in excruciating disbelief.

"Why isn't it working?" he croaked.

Silence.

"Rest, Kai," Cole said softly.

He used a tone that made Zane look at the floor, his heart suddenly aching for the puffing, despairing Master of Fire.

"There's plenty of time to train later."

Kai hung his head. Gritted his teeth. Squeezed his eyes shut.

With Cole gently guiding him to the floor, Kai returned to the sidelines, where Lloyd put a hand on his back, and Zane offered a reassuring smile.

Jay's head stayed buried between his knees.


	36. Spar

**A/N: Krovimastaa is pronounced Crow-vee-mast-ah. I apologize, I probably should have explained that earlier. **

**Also, there is a very important announcement in the note at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

Spar

* * *

Down, Cafeteria

8:00 AM

* * *

Dr. Julien, London, and the Walkers were all talking over the remains of breakfast. Garmadon didn't even want to _try_ to comprehend their conversation; the way they all discussed Shauto and Hidein like green magic that destroyed giant Elemental ghosts was totally normal… it made Garmadon's head hurt.

At least he knew Lloyd was safe. That they were _all_ safe.

Garmadon swished the coffee in his mug absently, still blinking sleep from his weighted eyes. Misako sat next to him, her hair down, frayed with just-brushed morning static; and on Garmadon's left, Wu slouched over the table, cheek in his hand, snoring softly.

A man appeared in the doorway, catching Garmadon's eye at once. He was Amid, without a doubt; white hair, white brow, white eyelashes and mocha skin.

It had been a long time since Garmadon had met an Amidian. He was even more intrigued by the black tattoos peeking out from under the collar of the mans' shirt.

Garmadon nudged Wu, who awoke with a snort.

The man approached the table, handed London a thin stack of documents and slid into the seat next to her. "All known locations, arrests, suspected crimes, and associates," he explained, his voice accented.

Wu rubbed his eyes, casting Garmadon an inquiring look, but saw the Amidian and registered a double-take.

"Perfect," London said. She glanced through them. "... Is there any chance you didn't already know everything that's in this?"

The Amidian shook his head.

London looked up. "Have you been introduced?" she asked the Amidian abruptly. "Sorry. It's been a rough night for us all. This is Sensei Wu, Montgomery Garmadon, and Misako Garmadon."

The man nodded. "I know them."

London blinked. Then she gave a breathy chuckle, turned to Garmadon, and gestured to the man next to her. "This is Gahiji. He's Nik's nephew."

Two of Gahiji's fingers twitched in greeting.

Garmadon glanced from Gahiji to Nik. _Um... Dr Julien isn't Amid._ Garmadon decided to pry later.

"And everyone else knows each other, right?" London said. "Good. Excellent."

"So what do you have there?" Garmadon asked. He lifted his mug of coffee to his lips as he spoke.

London frowned at the stack of documents. "Information on our enemy, Hokori Wyche."

Garmadon spluttered. He wiped his mouth hastily and set the mug back down on the table with a sheepish _clack_.

"Someone you know?" London didn't look up from the paper.

_Hokori Wyche. _That was the name of Eboni's father, the same Eboni that was apparently Hidein. Aha. Garmadon had known Wyche might be involved, but he had never expected him to be _running_ these shenanigans.

Garmadon crossed his arms on the table. "Met him once," he said finally. He searched his memory. "He was one of the go-betweens for the Skulkin Army. He hid them in his barracks for a few nights while they searched for the Golden Weapons's map."

This drew the attention of everyone in the room. "So you know where he's hiding?" Nikolai said.

"No. He's moved since then." Garmadon put his hand in his chin, thinking.

_So it is Wyche that we're dealing with... why do I have this sinking feeling? I don't remember him being very much of a threat. _

_But he is a very successful thief, one of the most well-known in the Underworld. And he's a killer. Not to mention his associations with Krovimastaa, and his team of assassins and thieves. And his money—he has a _lot_ of money. _

_... What was I saying about his not being a threat? _

"What do you know of his army?" Nikolai asked, leaning forward on the table.

Garmadon blinked. "Nothing, really," he said. "I only ever met the head honcho. Well—" He hesitated, glancing down at the coffee in front of him. "—okay, for the purposes of this discussion, I met him."

This earned a pause. "Alright," Nikolai said. "How long ago did you meet him?"

"Huh. ... Five years ago."

"Five years?" London frowned. "What was he like?"

Garmadon thought. "Straightforward," he said. "Not particularly intimidating. Just really straightforward."

"Straightforward, huh?"

There was a moment's pause. Gahiji was the only person that didn't seem to be deep in thought—actually, he looked pretty distracted.

"Okay, so what do we know?" Edna tapped the table. "We're fighting Hidein. We're assuming there's an army of them, led by Hokori Wyche. They have Whisperers. Do we know their goal?"

"World destruction," London said.

Edna stopped. "World—?"

"That's all we can think."

"That can't be," Sensei Wu objected, his eyes wide. "I don't believe a man could do that to his own world."

A silence. Garmadon glanced at Misako, who was listening quietly, her hand over her mouth and brow furrowed in thought.

Wu had a point. What Ninjagian would destroy a civilization, and what reason could be compelling enough to even consider it? Even Lord Garmadon hadn't been aiming to completely _decimate_ the planet.

Gahiji spoke. "Consider."

He tapped the table with the same two fingers he had used to greet them with, eyes shadowed. "What was Wyche's last offense tied to?"

Garmadon frowned. _Wyche's last offense? What...?_

_Oh. _

_Krovimastaa._

Ed gave a low sigh and touched his forehead to the table.

Wyche was Krovimastaa's master. He had used that... that… _creature_ to obliterate half of NinjaGo within three years. Of course, what _else_ could there be, with a weapon that powerful? With a killer like that, what else could you do but destroy the world?

Even if you decided to keep peace, would you have been able to _stop_ someone like that from killing?

Nausea bubbled in Garmadon's stomach.

_Could this be..._

"Could this be the second attack?" Misako asked.

She gazed at the table, shoulders hunched—all eyes were on her. Then, lifting her eyes, she said, "Could... could this be Krovimastaa all over again?"

Garmadon glanced at London, who swallowed hard and looked at Gahiji.

The Amidian's jaw tightened.

"We can only hope it's not," he murmured.

A long pause.

"I hate to do this to you," London said after a silence, watching Gahiji run his hands through his hair. "But what can you tell us about Hokori?"

Gahiji shook his head. "He's not acting of his own will. He never has been."

Nikolai leaned over the table. "So you think there's even someone behind Wyche?" he pressed.

Gahiji's fists clenched. "Always."

"But you have no idea who?"

"None."

Nikolai's eyes narrowed in disbelief, but before he could push further, Gahiji crossed his arms over his chest and said, "This matters less than what we do to fight back."

"But what are we really fighting?" Nikolai asked. "Are we fighting Whisperers, Hidein, Wyche, or something totally different?"

"We are fighting Hidein who control Whisperers, as Ed has already stated. Everything is directed by Hokori." Gahiji's tone edged.

"But Wyche is directed by someone else entirely?" Nikolai persisted.

"Correct."

Silence seemed to be a favored topic this morning.

Garmadon took the new quiet as a chance for another long look at Nikolai and his nephew. Gahiji pointedly avoided his uncle's accusatory gaze. There was something lurking here that had nothing to do with their current conversation, and it made Nikolai look frustrated and Gahiji defiant.

It put everyone else on edge, too. London, sitting between Nik and Gahiji, anxiously flicked through her papers.

Nikolai leaned back in his seat. He swallowed a few times, crossing his arms over his chest, his fingers twitching. Then he turned to Gahiji again. "Are you _sure_ you don't know who it could be?"

"_I'm sure_," Gahiji snapped.

London's head fell into her hands. "Nik," she said, "he doesn't know. He's already said this."

"But he _does_ know what happened to Nya," Nikolai said, audibly struggling to keep his tone reasonable. "Don't you, Gahiji?"

Gahiji froze as Sensei Wu, Misako, Edna, Ed and Garmadon all turned sharply to look at him.

The Amidian gritted his teeth, shooting Nikolai a disgusted glare. "I do," he said slowly. "I don't know where she is, but she's not dead."

A collective sigh of relief.

"How do you know?" Nikolai asked.

Gahiji's arm shot into the air so fast that Garmadon and the others flinched.

He held his hand up in Nikolai's direction for suppression, his other fist clenched. Nikolai shut his mouth, subdued.

"If he wanted to kill her," Gahiji said, his voice notably calm, "he wouldn't have vanished her, and he wouldn't have vanished himself. Wherever Hokori is, Nya is there, too."

Garmadon's heart pulsed swiftly. "So how do we find him?"

London took Gahiji's raised arm and pushed it gently back to his side, earning an irritated look from the Amidian. "There are a few places that we can start looking," she said, "but we can't hope to get far when more than half of us don't know Shauto."

Garmadon fought the desire to scoff, biting his tongue. "Why is Shauto so important?" he asked. "Are we helpless without it?"

"Not helpless," London said, "but it would be really, really hard to defend ourselves. The Hidein use their power liberally. If you don't have Shauto to combat them, you can only dodge their Hidoi for so long before you're caught flat-footed."

Garmadon smiled ruefully. "Right. Can't do anything without Shauto."

"How long can we expect learning it to take?" Sensei Wu asked.

"For you three, I would say about a week."

Garmadon stifled a sigh of relief. At least it wouldn't be a month-long chore or something hopeless like that. "Do we _have_ a week to spare?" he asked. "Now that Nya's gone—?"

"Not to spare," London said. "To prepare, though."

"So when do we start?" Misako asked.

London grinned. "As soon as you can kick the Ninja out of the PTR."

* * *

Down, PTR

3:10 PM

* * *

Cole skidded out of his Spinjitzu tornado and pushed sweat-slick hair from his face, inhaling deeply, heart thudding in his chest. He rolled his long-sleeves up over his shoulder so he could adjust his Shauto gloves. It was a lot of fabric to keep drawn up, but he was overheating and the gloves were sticking stubbornly to his perspiration.

Zane came to a stop next to him. "You seem sufficiently exerted, Cole," he said, glancing the Master of Earth up and down. "Perhaps you should rest."

Cole nodded. He had only been doing Spinjitzu for about fifteen minutes, but the repetitive maneuver started to wear him down after only five.

Zane flashed a smile and disappeared in a cloud of snowflakes.

Cole stripped his gloves from his arms. The swaths of white-and-green fabric were damp with sweat, and when Cole shook them, droplets flew. He grimaced and folded them, setting the gloves and the Shauto stones on the floor just next to the Spinjitzu Box of Doom.

"Heeey!"

Cole looked up. Azamat and Amilia entered the PTR, waving at the two ninja from the other side of the room.

The twins made their way through the training courses to the row of Doom Boxes in the back of the PTR. "Hi," Cole said with a half-wave; he didn't have to shout to make himself heard.

Amilia "ooh"ed. "You're doing the Spinjitzu training?" she inquired. "How's it coming?"

Cole shrugged as Zane slowed to a stop, waving subduedly to Amilia and Azamat, who both smiled at him. "Eh, could be worse," Cole admitted. "I _think_ we're making progress, but there's not been much of an epiphany for anyone except Lloyd as of yet."

The twins reached them. "Ah, yeah—heard about Kai," Azamat murmured, shoving his hands into his pockets and regarding the far wall.

Cole glanced there, too, offering a dismal smile. "Yeeah."

"It's really too bad," Amilia said softly. "He was advancing in his recoveries. But it's no wonder his Spinjitzu gave out, after last night's trauma."

"I believe he was simply tired," Zane agreed. "We sent him to rest. Is he elsewhere?"

"Does doing the dishes count as resting?" Amilia asked, earning a feeble laugh from both Elemental Masters.

"Sure, as long as he's not working too hard," Cole said.

His smile faded; he watched Amilia's expression for signs of abnormalities. Her bronzy hair was tucked into a ponytail and her lips painted cerise, but besides this, Cole couldn't detect anything different about her.

"You feel better, then, Amilia?" he ventured in the following lull in conversation.

Amilia blinked, then grinned, making her freckled cheeks stretch. "Oh, yes! I do feel much better, thank you. Sorry, I guess I haven't seen any of you since yesterday."

"That's good to hear," Zane said. "We were all worried."

There was another pause.

"So, you're not making much progress in Spinjitzu?" Amilia asked after a moment.

"Ah, no, I think we are," Cole said quickly. "It's just that nothing really awe-inspiring has happened yet."

"It's a lot more work than any of us anticipated," Zane added, leaving his Spinjitzu Box to retrieve his water bottle.

Azamat snorted. "Is it much different than your regular ol' Ninja training?" he asked, stepping back so Zane could pass.

"Em—yes, I suppose it is. On the _Bounty_, we did a lot more sparring. None of us have trained in that fashion for days."

Both the twins' faces lit up. "Ooh, sparring? Like, kung-fu?" Azamat said.

Zane, who had just pressed his water bottle to his lips, held up his index finger apologetically as he drank.

Cole took over the explanation. "It's a mix of a lot of different arts; we pull from karate, jujutsu, hapkido, judo, aikido, and ninjutsu itself, to name a few." He shrugged his shoulders. "A lot of ninjutsu is basic survival and concealment skills, but as far as sparring goes, there's a lot to do with bojutsu, shurikenjutsu—uh, stuff with the bo staff, throwing knives and the kusarigama."

"So how much of Ninja training is hand-to-hand combat?" Amilia asked.

"Taijutsu. Uh, everything except ninjutsu. Well—okay, ninjutsu is kind of a blanket term for all the skills a Ninja needs."

Zane approached Cole, holding out the water bottle. Cole took it gratefully.

"That's cool," Azamat said. "All the Five know hand-to-hand. Uh, karate. Wait." He looked puzzled. "Karate isn't it."

"Taijutsu," Amilia offered.

"Taijutsu," Azamat said, shooting Amilia a sheepishly grateful look. "Nothing specific, I don't think, just basic offense and defense and throws and stuff. And we can do swords. And Amilia's really good at throwing knives. But yeah, Taijutsu!"

Cole put his hands on his hips, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Really? You wanna go?"

"Go—? Oh, you mean spar?" Azamat said, his lips parting slightly, taken aback.

Cole nodded. "Unless you don't want to?" he said, wondering if Azamat was nervous. Cole was all for the idea, if only to see how good Azamat was—but the kid might not be quite skilled enough to fight an Elemental Ninja. He was sure Azamat would say something if he wasn't up for it.

"No, no, I'll spar with you," Azamat said with a grin. Cole smiled back and gestured for Azamat to follow him into the Spinjitzu Box, which he did, looking numb, but excited.

"This will be interesting," Zane said, moving to stand beside Amilia.

Cole kicked off his shoes and slid into position, bracing his feet apart from each other and raising his arms. Azamat kept his shoes, eying Cole's discarded ones warily, but mimicked Cole's stance.

The Master of Earth noted the angle of Azamat's right foot and that his waist jutted slightly, but besides that, his posture was excellent.

"I'm probably not going to last long," Azamat admitted, bouncing a in place a little bit. "I mean, you're a _ninja_."

"You take the offensive, then," Cole said, flicking his hair behind his ears.

Azamat blew air slowly through his lips, looking Cole up and down; he looked relatively confident, but his eyes flitted to his twin sister.

Amilia gave him a thumbs up and flashed a brilliant grin. "Good luck, Azzy!"

Azamat swallowed and looked back to Cole. The Master of Earth gave him a sympathetic grimace. "Whenever you're ready," he said.

The teenager hesitated. Then he lunged, and Cole caught him by the arm, turned and propelled him over one shoulder.

He dropped to his knees at the same time that Azamat thudded to the floor to soften the landing. Azamat "Oof!"ed—he gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut, finally finding breath, after a few seconds of windless silence.

"You alright?" Cole asked, grinning as Azamat cracked one eye a slit and smiled ruefully up at him. He helped Azamat to his feet, where the teen exhaled and dusted himself off.

"Yeah, I'm good," he said. "I wasn't prepared for that."

Then he threw a blow at Cole's shoulder, catching the Master of Earth off guard. Cole dodged, missing the strike by a hair, then had to block and skirt a barrage of attacks.

_This kid is fast,_ he reflected as he repelled a punch with his forearm. He could see flaws in Azamat's technique, but he was hitting pretty hard, especially considering that Cole was by far and away the larger of the two. Azamat thrust his elbow at Cole's chest, making the ninja turn to Azamat's side by glancing off the back of his arm.

Azamat directed two attacks in rapid succession—Cole caught them in his palms and shoved him backwards. To his satisfaction, Azamat bounced in that direction with his feet apart and balanced, his brow lowered defiantly.

They regarded each other for a moment. Then Azamat launched forward, catching Cole's outstretched arm with his fist. Cole collapsed the limb to shield his head as Azamat leapt forward, letting Azamat lean a little too far before he whirled and pushed with the back of his forearm.

Azamat, off balance, was shoved into the air—his feet left the ground and he cartwheeled into a roll, using his arm as a push off point to return to his feet.

Cole reassumed his ready stance. "I'm impressed," he said, smiling. "You're strong."

Azamat's jaw was tight in concentration, too caught up in the fight to respond. He jumped forward, throwing a punch at Cole's neck that the Master of Earth caught and threw to one side. Then his leg connected with Cole's side in a forceful kick.

It would have had more effect on someone Azamat's weight or lighter. Cole felt the impact, grabbed the teenager's calf—Azamat blanched—and caught him in the stomach, shoving him to the hardwood.

Azamat grunted when he landed, then swerved to avoid Cole's knuckles; he kicked Cole's feet out from under him, prompting the Earth Ninja to roll onto Azamat to cushion his fall.

"Gah!" Azamat wheezed beneath Cole for a moment, grappling with the Black Ninja's sheer size, then surged upwards to whirl on top.

Normally, he wouldn't have been able to do this successfully, but Cole assisted him by grabbing Azamat's shoulder and obligingly falling to his back.

Azamat was now on top, breathlessly triumphant. His fist flew for Cole's face. Cole grabbed his arm and held it pinned against his shoulder, leaving Azamat's body twisted away from Cole.

The ninja lifted one leg, caught his opponent in the chest and thrust Azamat back to the floor.

Azamat huffed upon impact. Cole used the force from his shove to return to his feet, completing a reverse somersault and skidding to a ready stance.

Azamat got to his feet, staggering a little before reassuming his offensive position.

"You alright?" Cole asked. Azamat waved one hand, and Cole felt a smile tug at his lips.

"You're pretty good," he said, straightening to a casual gait and approaching Azamat. The teenager backpedaled, but Cole gently patted his arm. "S'alright, we'll take a minute."

Cole crouched and touched Azamat's foot. "Turn your knee sharper," he said. "It'll help when you're moving back and forth."

Azamat shifted the angle of his foot inwards, towards his body, until it was parallel with the glossy floorboards. Cole stood and pushed the boy's hips farther in, too. "Keep your waist here," he said, "and you'll maintain better balance. How much do you weigh?"

"One sixty," Azamat said, jumping experimentally in his improved stance.

"Aha. I'm one eighty-four. Those twenty-four pounds between us made all the difference there, could you feel it?"

"Yeah," Azamat said, smirking. "You helped me on top there, didn't you?"

Cole returned the grin. "Sorry, you probably didn't want a lecture."

"Naw, this is cool," Azamat said. "So, if it were a real fight, and _you_ were under a guy who weighed twenty-four pounds more than you, what would you do?"

"I promise, pulling your waist in will help," Cole said.

As Azamat corrected his posture, Cole tapped his chin and said, "I'd crack his nose with my forehead and push him off."

Azamat laughed nervously. "Okay. I know what to do next time."

Cole spread his feet apart and raised his hands. "I'm gonna take offensive this time," he said. "Don't worry, I'll hit soft."

Azamat blinked, then nodded.

Cole heard Amilia and Zane commenting appreciatively on both opponents' overall technique, but he didn't have the concentration to divide it between their discussion and Azamat.

"You ready for me?" Cole asked, checking to see if Azamat was still keeping the posture flaws Cole had pointed out.

"I'm ready," Azamat said, licking his lips.

Cole sprung forward, lashing out with his fist; Azamat dodged and responded in kind. The Master of Earth kept his blows slower than he would usually deal them, trying to gauge how fast Azmat could react to each before Cole really tried to land a punch.

Cole sped his attacks. Soon Azamat was puffing, sidestepping and swerving faster and faster as Cole's punches flew harder and quicker, with more complexity, forcing his opponent to jump farther and duck lower. The time window Azamat was given to react grew narrower and narrower.

At last, Cole thrust his foot behind Azamat's and leveled a punch in his chest—Azamat tripped and toppled over backwards, barely catching himself in a roll and returning to his feet unsteadily.

Cole leapt on his weakness. Azamat blocked each punch, his expression contorting as Cole wore at his stamina.

Then Azamat's leg snapped impatiently upwards in a crescent kick, and the Black Ninja hopped backwards to avoid getting his chin split open.

Azamat took the offensive. He threw four solid punches in barely two seconds, forcing Cole to dodge awkwardly and lose his balance. Seizing the chance, Azamat pivoted and thrust his hand into Cole's chest.

Gravity, combined with the force of the blow, made Cole tumble backwards and roll to his feet.

When Cole whirled to face his opponent again, Azamat's face was alight and victorious. "I knocked you over!" he said, beaming with the thrill. "I _actually_ knocked you over!"

Cole laughed breathily, giving Azamat about two seconds to relish the accomplishment, then pounced on him, grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back.

Azamat yelped. Cole spun him around, making him bend over, and put all his weight down onto Azamat's back.

The boy crumpled to one knee, gasping, leaning sideways in an effort to push Cole over onto the floor. Instead, Cole removed his weight, gripped the back of the kid's neck, and took Azamat gently by the ear, careful not to pull too hard on his earrings.

"Ahhhhhh!" Azamat shouted, bringing his hands up and clutching Cole's wrist desperately. "Ah ah ah!"

Cole tugged softly, making Azamat's jaw clench, less from pain than from apprehension. His nails dug into the skin of Cole's hand, and the Black Ninja laughed apologetically.

"I'd recommend taking out your piercings before you fight someone," Cole said. He released Azamat's ear and helped him to his feet. "One good yank, and you'd be out for the rest of the fight."

"No kidding," Azamat said hoarsely, rubbing his ear.

Cole frowned. "Did I hurt you?"

"Naw."

"Hey, that wasn't a bad fight, kid. You're pretty good."

"Th-thanks."

Cole stepped apart from him and bowed shortly, looking up to see Azamat doing the same. The teenager's shamrock eyes glittered with exhilaration, his shoulders heaving for breath.

Cole himself was struggling to keep a steady breathing pattern against the pounding of his heart. It was more than just sparring rush—he felt somehow stronger, with more purpose, complete. Like he could fight Azamat over and over, and by so doing push limits and bend boundaries to the breaking point.

Fearless.

He chalked this up to returning to the routine of fighting. He hadn't sparred in a while, after all, and truth be told he missed the training.

But still...

... His heart thudded with a stirring thrill of victory.

Amilia and Zane applauded them as the two fighters approached the sidelines.

"I am impressed," Zane said to Azamat, clapping one hand to the boy's back. "You held your own quite well, considering your opponent was much stronger and more disciplined than you."

"And faster," Azamat said breathlessly. "And bigger. And smarter. _And_ cooler."

Cole passed his water bottle to the flushed boy. "Immeasurably," he said, with a sly look.

Azamat shot him a good-natured glare and tipped his head back, draining the container.

"Good job, Azzy," Amilia said. She directed an eager look Cole's way. "Perhaps at a later date, I could try, too?"

Cole nodded, glancing incredulously at Azamat as he continued to guzzle water. "Of course," he said. "Give me a couple minutes to rest, and I could spar with you."

"Oh, I'd better not, not now," Amilia admitted. "I've still got a headache, and Gahiji's asked me to rest for at least one more day. But we've actually become a little side-tracked here. Azamat and I came to ask if either of you knew where Lloyd is."

Cole blinked. "No," he said, turning to Zane, who also shook his head. "Why?"

"London wants to teach him how to Rescue," Azamat said, tapping the water bottle to his cheek. "She says that as soon as he learns, he could run his first Singe."

"Wha—that's great!" Cole cried. "So soon?"

"Yup," Amilia said. "We thought he might be in here with you guys."

"Wow. You guys really got sidetracked, then," Cole said with a chuckle. "Y'think Mom will be mad?"

"I'll get back to you on that one," Amilia said flatly, provoking laughter from both Cole and her twin brother.

"Have you checked with Garmadon and Misako?" Zane suggested.

"Probably should have done that first," Azamat pointed out to Amilia.

"Right. We'll be on our way then," Amilia said, waving. "Thanks for your help!"

Azamat returned Cole's empty water bottle to him with a sheepish grin. "Thanks," he said, and hurried after Amilia, a happy rhythm in his step. Amilia snarked something indiscernible and they both laughed on their way out the door.

Cole caught Zane's eye and smiled.

"That sparring match was enjoyable to observe," the Nindroid said. "Not only to gauge technique, but to observe expression. He has a solid hand."

"Yeah, he's pretty good. Honestly, I'm interested to fight Amilia, now. Did Azamat say she was good at _throwing_ _knives_?"

"I would like to observe her shurikenjutsu as well," Zane affirmed. "It is intriguing to share this knowledge among people outside of our general circle."

Cole nodded. Then he snorted, and burst out laughing. "Stop sounding like Sensei."

"I will, if you do the same."

They both chuckled. Oh, it felt good to laugh.

Cole stretched. "Ah, man. I would'a thought I'd be tired, but I'm not. I'm ready for more Spinjitzu." He picked up his gloves and tugged them back on, flexing his fingers in the still-damp fabric.

"Then by all means," Zane said. "We must learn Shauto as soon as possible."

He tossed Cole a Shauto stone, then summoned another haze of frost and wind that carried him back into his own Spinjitzu Box. Cole spread his feet apart, preparing to spin, wondering why his heart was still battering his ribcage. It should have slowed by now.

Then the Shauto stone in his hands shimmered and ignited, making Cole shout and fling it.

It missed Zane's whirlwind by a thread, hit the far wall and shattered, fragments skittering across the floor and filling the PTR with a splitting _crack_.

It shocked Zane out of his tornado. "Cole?" he inquired, gasping for breath. "What's the matter—?" he exclaimed, seeing the gray shards divided among the room and faint dust puffing from the dead Shauto stone.

Cole swallowed, his mind racing, fluttering from one conclusion to the next.

"Uh—let me see your rock, Zane."

Zane turned back to Cole incredulously. "Don't break it," he warned after a pause. He held it out to the Master of Earth, who cradled it in his shaking palms.

Cole bit his lip, listening to the blood singing in his ears, elation pulsing violently through every part of him. Zane leaned forward, eyes wide, and they both gazed down into Cole's hands.

A low thrum emanated from the stone.

The Connection Rivers on his glove burst to life, glistening with an intense green glow that flowed from the crook of his elbow to his fingertips, inciting a fire in the Shauto stone. The inked markings on the rock began to emit a profound, lush light that illuminated their shocked faces and warmed Cole's hands.

All he felt was Shauto's purr and his own heartbeat, the glow welling in his hands, surging through him with a terrifying, exquisite strength.

Cole could do nothing but stare at the stone and breathe.

"Cole," Zane said at last. "Cole—that's Shauto. You've unlocked Shauto!"

Breathlessly, Cole lifted his head to gaze at his teammate, who looked absolutely electrified with excitement. "You've unlocked Shauto!" Zane repeated. "Quickly! We must tell Azamat and Amilia!"

He caught Cole's wrist, and the two of them whisked through the PTR, past training equipment and out the door faster than Cole ever thought he could run. Shauto's light pursued them, radiating intrepidly from Cole's hands.

Shauto blossomed in Cole's chest. He couldn't process it properly, not with the effort it took to keep from losing himself in the beauty of his discovery.

_I've unlocked Shauto,_ was all he managed to think as he and Zane darted into the hall and shouted for the twins at the other end of the corridor.

_I've unlocked Shauto!_

* * *

***IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!* **

**I have decided that I'm going to take six months, buckle down, and write the rest of Whisper. That way, instead of posting inconsistent chapters, I'll have it all ready to upload.**** And plus, I really need to make sure this next bit/the final battle bits go right.**

**In this period of time, I won't be uploading much to the story. I'll still be around (especially on DeviantArt, so check that out), but the updates to FanFiction will be few and far between.**

**I'll be back sometime around February with the rest of Whisper. In the meantime, thanks to all those who review/favorite/follow this story, to those guests out there reading and commenting, because you guys are seriously so great! I can't believe you'd stick with this story! *IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT OVER.* **

**See you guys in a few months! **


	37. Rescue Me

**Hey everyone! The extra-long hiatus has come to an end, and I am back with Whisper! Happy Birthday, everyone. I'm sure this is what you wanted. **

**Huge shout-out to my fantabulous beta Astrid16! You probably wouldn't be reading this if it wasn't for her. **

* * *

Rescue Me

* * *

Down, MTR

4:00 PM

* * *

"Wait, wait -!" Lloyd shook himself, alarmed. "Cole - you unlocked Shauto, too?"

"Yeah! Look, see?" Flushed, Cole held out his cupped palms. Lloyd peered at the Shauto stone cradled inside them, which glowed a passionate green in response to Cole's thrill.

"Wow," the Green Ninja breathed. He laughed. "That's awesome! Hey, now we can both go on a patrol! Uh - once we learn Rescue, right?" he added sheepishly, turning to London.

She nodded with a chuckle. "Now if you would all take a seat, I could teach it to you."

Lloyd and Cole both plopped down into their folding chairs, buzzing with enthusiasm, and Zane and Jay both took seats next to them. Sensei Wu, Garmadon, and Misako were all there, too, with folding chairs provided for them as well. The only Ninja missing was Kai, who was supposedly with December doing the dishes in the Cafeteria.

London regarded them all for a moment, standing in the center of the MTR, tapping her foot contemplatively on the floor.

"To start off," she said at last, "there's not a lot of theory behind Rescue."

_Thank goodness, _Lloyd thought. He liked Shauto, yeah, but the theory was always a bit much to wrap his head around - especially when he'd never needed it _before_.

"The idea behind the Rescue maneuver is to direct a large amount of Shauto at a Whisperer." London paused. "Yeah. That's what it is, in a nutshell. It is Shauto itself that destroys Whisperers, so Rescue harnesses a quantity of Shauto's energy and focuses it on the darkness."

Lloyd blinked. That was all there was to it? ... Lloyd could have shot a kamehameha at Whisperer, and it would have killed it?

"Seriously?" Garmadon said, obviously thinking along the same lines as Lloyd. "So, as long as you're using Shauto, Whisperers die? That seems really weird. Handy... but weird."

London laughed and nodded. "Isn't it? But there's an explanation for that: darkness and light. Those are two recurring themes throughout history, science, the universe... pretty much everything. As long as there is light, the darkness can never overcome it, but _light_ can overcome _darkness_."

"So... you're saying that Shauto is light, and Hidoi is darkness," Misako said slowly.

"Eh - close. Shauto is light, and whatever Whisperers are is darkness."

Lloyd blinked. "Uh," he said, raising his hand, "aren't Whisperers Hidoi?"

London opened her mouth, but at the same time, her shoulders were shrugging with defeat. "I would assume they were," she said, "but they can use Elements. Hidoi can't - or at least, if it does, it definitely can't harness the full extent of those Elements, like how they're doing."

Cole leaned a little forward in his chair, his brow furrowing. "But mom," he began. "You keep saying that Shauto is what allows us, as Elemental Masters, to _use_ our Elements."

"Ah - yes, and no. Your Element is a part of you. Once an Elemental Master unlocks their True Potential, they have a right to wield that Element."

"But we _wield_ it through Shauto."

"Shauto creates the Elements that you wield, yeah." London gave a wry smile that suggested she knew exactly the point that Cole was making.

"Wouldn't that mean that Whisperers use Shauto, then? If they can wield Elements that Shauto creates, that would make them Shautei. And didn't you establish that Whisperers have souls? It's totally possible that they're drawing Elements from their own Potential, too."

A pause. Lloyd turned to Cole grinning despite himself. Cole's argument made a weird kind of sense; he watched London's reaction intently, waiting for her response.

"I've traced it there, too," London admitted. "And let's suppose it's true, for a moment. What if Whisperers were Shautei?" She nodded deliberately. "If that were true, then why would we be fighting Whisperers with Shauto? Why would Shauto kill Whisperers, if it was, in fact, what they used?"

"So they're not Shauto," Cole concluded, disbelief in his tone, "but they can still use Elements. They're not Hidoi, but Shauto kills them, like light illuminates the darkness. It looks like they share attributes from both Hidoi and Shauto. So what is that called, _between_ Hidoi and Shauto?"

London fell silent. Her foot tapped the floor, but she didn't seem offended; she looked rather intrigued, actually.

Lloyd glanced around at the others. Everyone seemed rather puzzled, even Cole, who seemed to be rethinking what he had just said.

Sensei Wu finally spoke. "Something between Hidoi and Shauto...?" he repeated. His tone was ponderous, and he stroked his beard quietly for a moment. "Wouldn't that be Ninjagians?"

London's mouth twitched.

"Between Hidoi and Shauto, free to use either, would be us. Wouldn't it?"

Garmadon was nodding, too. "Of course, Whisperers aren't Ninjagian, so it must be one or the other - Shauto or Hidoi. Mustn't it?"

"Whisperers are not Shautei," London said firmly.

"But they're apparently not Hidein, either," Cole pointed out, pensively amused. "And they're not in between Hidoi or Shauto, because they're not Ninjagian. But they have souls. Are they alien? Is a Whisperer some kind of deformed Ninjagian spirit?" He at last snorted. "FSM! How are we supposed to classify them?"

London laughed, too. "You have no idea how many times I've had this conversation with Gahiji. He is convinced that they are Hidein."

"Who's to say he's not right?"

Everyone turned around. Dr. Julien stood in the open doorway, and behind him, Kai, who looked healthier than Lloyd had seen him in days.

"Uh, may I join you?" Nikolai said after a moment, smiling awkwardly.

"Please," London said, gesturing for him to come in. Lloyd stood to let Nikolai take his chair, which he did, with a grateful smile in Lloyd's direction. Kai came in, too, settling against one side of the doorframe.

Lloyd caught his eye. Kai grinned and waved, and Lloyd felt his heart skip a beat. Kai looked so much _better_. He slouched casually against the doorway, and though his eyes were still shadowed, they were alert and interested. ... Was this the same Kai who had failed at Spinjitzu just hours before?

"Alright, alright - so you're of the opinion that Whisperers are Hidein, too?" London asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Nikolai shrugged. "I'd say they are, yes."

"But they can use Elements."

"I know. But what, other than Hidoi, withers under Shauto's touch?" Dr. Julien shifted on the chair. "There are more factors pointing to their being Hidein than their being Shautei."

Jay raised his hand awkwardly. London nodded to him.

"Sorry," he said. "But, uh, you've been using the terms 'Shautei' and 'Hidein', and I'm starting to get a little confused. Are they double-meaning words or something? Cuz I'm kind of getting the impression that you're saying Whisperers are Hidein. I mean - Hidein, like, the _people_, Hidein."

London gritted her teeth, but smiled. "Okay, yeah, sorry. When we say Hidein, we mean that they are 'of Hidoi', and when we say Shautei, we mean 'of Shauto'. We'll say that from now on."

Jay exhaled, relieved. "Thanks."

London shook herself. "I guess you would know, Nik. But I'm still not entirely convinced. For what reason could Whisperers possibly be able to use Elements?"

"I don't know," Nikolai admitted. "That's something - em, we should just ask Gahiji about it. If Whisperers truly are of Hidoi, he would know better than any of us."

"He's already said - well." London's gaze flickered to the ceiling. "Never mind. The point is, although they can wield Elements, most of us think that Whisperers are basically of Hidoi, which is why Shauto kills them."

Cole leaned back. "Yeah, let's go with that," he muttered, unsatisfied. Lloyd bit back a grin.

"So. Cole and Lloyd, you have both unlocked Shauto?" London said, moving on.

Both mentioned Ninja made noises of affirmation. Nikolai glanced at the two of them, impressed, but made no comment; Kai, too, raised his eyebrows and shot Cole a grin, sticking out his tongue. The Master of Earth, delighted, smiled back.

"Good. Alright." London reached her hand behind her back, pulling a notebook out of her belt and her pencil from behind her ear. "The point of the Rescue maneuver is to direct a large amount of Shauto at a Whisperer, which kills it. For reasons unknown." She glanced at Nikolai, who was yawning and didn't notice.

"At least it works," Garmadon pointed out.

"Yes, at least there is that. And actually - well, I haven't seen you use your powers in person, Lloyd," London said, sounding a bit distracted, "but can't you create kamehamehas? Spheres of pure energy?"

"Uh - yes."

"That energy wouldn't happen to be Shauto, would it?"

"It is," Lloyd and Nikolai said at the same time.

London smiled dryly. "Great! You don't really need to learn Rescue, then. I'm sure that propelling a kamehameha at a Whisperer would kill it, and perhaps even a group of Whisperers. A kamehameha and the Rescue maneuver are close to the same thing."

_Called it,_ Lloyd thought.

"But everyone else does." London flipped to a blank page in her notebook and started drawing. "Like all other Shauto maneuvers, to perform them, you need the Purpose, the Connection Rivers, and the Amid ritual. Nikolai taught you the ritual for See, right? Does anyone remember it?"

"Uhh..." Lloyd and the others grimaced, but Zane responded only a beat after London asked the question.

"_Pokazhite mnye potok,_" he said, then blinked, as if he hadn't registered deciding to say it.

"Good, good." London flipped the notebook around, showing her drawing. One large circle was surrounded on four angles by hooks. Inside the circle was a triangle, Punctuated on two sides to look like eyes.

"It looks like a duck," Jay remarked. Lloyd laughed.

"This is the Rescue symbol, or Rescue Purpose." London reached into her belt again, pulling out a stone. It looked a lot like the Shauto stones that Lloyd and the others had been using to train with, but the Purpose inscribed on its smooth surface matched the one in London's notebook. "On a patrol, you will use Shauto with a stone."

She waved the stone in the air. "Cole, catch," she said, and underhanded it to him. "Now, set it down - we don't want you accidentally performing Shauto before you're ready."

Cole set the stone on the floor. London opened her mouth to continue, but hesitated; then she groaned.

"Gahh, Nik, it's so much easier to teach Healing first," she said. "It's a lot less of a shock. Healing takes less focus than something as big as Rescue - Cole hasn't done any official Shauto maneuvers before."

Nikolai shrugged. He was doing a lot of that. "You're already teaching Rescue. You'll be fine."

"Alrighty." London straightened, clearing her throat. "The Amid ritual is _Zlo ischeznet_. Can you all say it with me? _Zzlllo ischeeehzzznyeeht_."

The Ninja and their companions repeated it to the best of their abilities. The words rolled off of Sensei Wu's tongue, and Misako already knew Amid, so she could say it without a problem, but Garmadon's interpretation wasn't exactly fluid. Lloyd didn't find too much of a problem with it, probably because he already had a loose grasp of the Amid accent from the See ritual.

"Yeah. Say that a couple times." While the others repeated the ritual, London dug around in her pouch again, pulling another rock out and tossing it into the air before catching it. With the rock, she also brought out a pair of Shauto gloves, which she began to pull on with practiced hands. It took Lloyd at least a minute to get his gloves on, but London shoved her fingers into both gloves in under ten seconds.

"Now," she said, "Cole, come up here, and bring the Rescue stone. Everyone, watch closely, so you're prepared for what will happen when you try Rescue."

The MTR grew quiet as Cole retrieved the stone from the floor and approached his mother, standing beside her. He shuffled his feet nervously as London held her own stone at arm's length.

London smiled at him. "I'll do it first. Then you, alright?"

The stone's engraved symbol faced up, pressed to the fabric of London's glove, hidden from view. London gestured to the back of her hand.

"There's a trick to holding the Shauto stones, especially when you're actually performing Shauto," she said. "As you may have noticed during your training, Ninja, the Shauto stone is an oval, even though the inscribed Purpose is perfectly round. You want to have the long ends of that oval -" London switched hands with the stone, but kept it facing the same direction "- straight up and down."

She showed the palm of her glove. "Look. I have two Periods in the center of my hand. These Periods should match up with the Punctuation on the Shauto stone, otherwise the connection won't be as true, and it will be harder for Shauto to truly flow."

London replaced her Shauto stone in her left hand. Lloyd found himself leaning forward, fists clenched in his shirt, as she intoned, "_Zlo ischeznet_."

Gradually, green trickled from the Connection Rivers on her arms into the stone; light from the Purpose pushed through the cracks in her fingers, coloring London's cool expression an intense emerald. Lloyd could feel Shauto tugging forcefully on his heart as it gathered in London's grip. Even though he wasn't performing it, he could feel it, a powerful, almost violent energy converging on the Rescue stone. A sphere of pure light - a kamehameha, Lloyd realized - was faintly outlined around London's hands.

It was like Shauto was breathing him in. He could not help but pitch ever farther forward, gaze intent on the sheer power in London's hands. Was it because he was the Shauto Master that he was drawn so strongly in by it? No - when he glanced at his friends, he saw each tilting towards the glow, the same as he was, completely transfixed, breathless with awe.

London dropped the stone and caught it in her other hand, and Shauto's pull faded. The Rescue stone dimmed, and Lloyd caught himself before he toppled forwards.

"Now, Cole," she said. Her voice seemed unnaturally loud, after such intense, rushing silence. "Did you see what just happened?"

Cole nodded, wordless, eyes wide. London chuckled, then replaced the Rescue stone in her pouch, stripping her gloves from her arms.

"When you perform Rescue, you have to remember that you really are gathering a huge amount of energy. It's going to be hard to control."

"So, _can_ you control how much energy you gather?" Cole asked, rubbing his own Rescue stone anxiously in his hands.

"Yeah. Uh, it's hard to explain how - just drop the stone if you feel like it's too much, alright?"

"Got it."

Lloyd raised his hand. "Uh, can I say something? I mean, I've supposedly done this before, so..."

"By all means," London said with a grin. "Rescue comes more naturally to you, anyways. You'll be able to explain it better."

Lloyd turned to Cole. "It helps if you focus on how big you want it to get," he said. "For a small one, I think about maybe the size of a basketball. Shauto will kind of just follow your lead."

Lloyd never thought he'd be teaching his teammates how to use his powers.

"Okay." Cole looked nervous, but determined. He positioned the Rescue stone in his hand, double-checking to make sure it was lined up, and held it at arms' length, breathing slowly out through his lips.

He flashed a hint of a smile, then said, "_Zlo ischeznet._"

Rescue took a longer time for Cole than it did for London. At first Lloyd was nervous that it wasn't going to work, but he saw it - a steady buildup of Shauto in Cole's hands. Cole laughed breathlessly, but he cut himself off as Shauto continued to accumulate, getting harder and harder to control. Cole grappled with the power for a moment, the green light fluctuating and shivering as he tried to find a solid grip on it; but at last, it stiffened in his hold, no longer faltering, and Shauto murmured in his clothes, sending ripples across the fabric and through his hair.

The kamehameha's shadow formed above his hands, and Cole gave a shout of triumph, grinning from ear to ear. The MTR burst into applause, laughing at Cole's exhilaration, celebrating his success.

"There you are," London said, a proud purr in her voice, even as Cole's fingers loosened and he released Shauto. The MTR was now lit only by the lamps in the floor; it seemed so dark without Shauto's burning glow.

"Did it," Cole said, his breaths coming in short-winded gasps. London laughed, rubbing his back and simultaneously prying the Rescue stone from his hands.

"You did well for your first time," she said as Cole returned to his folding chair.

"I feel like Lloyd," Cole said hoarsely. Everyone laughed, and Lloyd cast him a grin from where he stood next to the doorframe.

"Awesome. Cole, Lloyd - you two ready to run a Singe?" London shoved her hands in her pockets and gave them both an expectant look. "You'll have a member of the Five with you to help run things, so you don't have to worry there."

Lloyd hesitated. He glanced to Cole, who glanced back, and they exchanged smiles.

"Absolutely," Cole said.

* * *

Dark Cell

* * *

Nya didn't wake up when the Hidein arrived with food for them. Eboni didn't wake her, either, so when Nya finally regained consciousness, it came as a surprise that there was a dish of three small biscuits and a glass of water next to where she had slept, curled in a ball.

She rubbed her eyes until she felt more awake. The lamp had been re-lit, but it looked like it had already been going for hours; it sputtered feebly and cast the cell in odd shadows.

Eboni appeared to be asleep, in the same position that Nya had left her - rigidly facing the opposite direction. She must have woke up at some point, though, because there was an empty glass and plate next to her, too.

Her stomach gave a sudden, painful croak. Nya and reached for her plate, picking up one of the little biscuits. This was imo-mochi, she realized. Little fried cakes that Kai would sometimes make for her, back when the both of them lived alone in the blacksmith shop, because they were easy and tasted pretty good with soy sauce.

Without sauce, this imo-mochi was cold and plain. Nya didn't really care, as sat up and stuffed the golf-ball-sized cakes one by one into her mouth - it did little to sate her, washed down with lukewarm water.

She paused, turning the last cake over in her hands.

Zane had made imo-mochi once, too. When all the Ninja had come home from fighting a particularly tough bunch of Serpentine, and they were all too tired to put together a full-course meal, he prepared them with soy sauce and excessive amounts of butter. His had been soft, unlike Kai's, which were always a little overdone.

Nya bit into the cake.

Spinjitzu Master, she missed the guys.

Eboni stirred. Nya swallowed and watched Eboni from the corner of her eye; the woman shifted, supporting herself on one arm so she could turn.

Eboni saw Nya and stiffened. "... You're awake."

In the complete silence, her voice struck a match and invited a small, comforting flame into the cell. At least _someone_ was here with Nya.

Nya looked back to her half-finished cake. "Yeah."

She pulled her shirt a little further down. Eboni was lucky that _she_ had pants, and though she had no shirt, she was covered by the bandages - better off than Nya was, as far as clothes went. Speaking of, Nya thought, they should probably change Eboni's bandages.

She looked around. Last time, the Hidein had provided them with bandages. If they were any kind of humane, they would have provided some this time, too, but Nya couldn't see any by Eboni's empty dishes or her own.

"Were you awake when they brought the food?" Nya asked.

"Yeah."

"Did they bring a new roll of bandages?"

Eboni's expression darkened, but she grunted affirmation and held up a roll of white gauze. Nya shot her a sympathetic grimace.

"Here, let's change those," Nya said, reaching for them, but Eboni dropped them back to her side.

"I'll do it myself," she said.

Nya frowned. Looking at Eboni's wounds - mostly on her back - she seriously doubted that Eboni could do it by herself. But Eboni turned away and started unravelling her arms.

Nya looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. Her eyes met darkness. She remembered the Whisperers and tensed, but the fading light of the lamp seemed to be keeping them away.

"Eboni," Nya began, inching forward on her knees towards her cellmate, who was now at work on undoing her torso bandages. "Look. I know you might not like me, but we're stuck here together for who knows how long. Can't we at least try to get along?"

"Yeah," Eboni said. She huffed as she worked. "We can get along. But I'm gonna change my own bandages."

Nya glanced back at the lamp, which fluttered and choked in an effort to keep the cell lit. "The light's going to go out soon."

Eboni's hair fell over her wounds. She reached gingerly to move her hair across one shoulder, wincing.

"You're not going to be able to finish before it goes out - then you'll be working in the dark."

"And even if you help me," Eboni said, "it'll go out before _you_ finish, and we'll have the same problem."

"But we'll have _two_ people to finish in the dark, instead of just one."

Eboni hesitated. The bandages came completely unravelled; the labyrinth of red and brown tissue on Eboni's back looked to be healing, but it could easily inflame.

"There's no use being enemies in here," Nya said softly. "What would be the point?"

Eboni tossed the roll of gauze over her shoulder, which Nya caught and unwound a length of, allowing a small smile.

"Hey," she said, "I have a little water left, we can wash it."

Eboni glanced at her as Nya retrieved her water glass and one of the strips of Eboni's shirt. Nya wetted the cloth and crawled back to Eboni, instructing her to relax as she ran the cloth delicately across the marred skin.

The process was a painful one. Eboni stiffened and straightened with pain whenever Nya rubbed the cloth across her injuries, and when the Samurai pulled the bandages tight, she gave an annoyed squeak.

"Um, so as long as we're not enemies," Nya said quietly, tying the gauze around Eboni's back. "... Who did this to you?"

Eboni paused before answering. "I don't know. I didn't see their faces."

That didn't explain much.

"Was it the other Hidein?" Nya pressed.

"I think so. Some of father's secondary apprentices, probably."

"Your father... Hokori Wyche, right?"

Eboni nodded shortly. Nya almost asked more, but stopped herself just in time; a question like "So your father teaches Hidoi?" could be considered aggressive. Even on the same ground, making an inquiry like that probably wasn't a smart move.

"Why would they do this to you?"

Especially if she was Wyche's daughter. Beating her up and sticking her in a cell seemed like a bad idea when she was tethered to someone so influential.

Eboni looked away. "I don't know if it's a specific reason, but I've had this a long time in coming. I've... threatened a few people. Stepped out of line a few times. This is the repercussion."

"This is some serious repercussion for a few slip-ups." Nya moved Eboni's arm gently so she could wrap it.

"I think this is actually an easier trial than he meant to put me on." Eboni's features were austere and dim in the dying lamplight.

Nya patted her arm with the wet cloth, trying not to think about what that implied.

The light fizzed. Nya whirled, but the lamp kept flickering, even though its glow was lessening by the second. Nya tied the bandage tight around Eboni's arm and took her other.

Eboni jerked against her grip. "Sorry," Nya said, loosening her hold. She finished the wrap with a firm knot, and Eboni released her breath.

"So...can we escape?" Nya asked quietly.

Eboni glanced at her.

She then closed her eyes and shook her head. "I've guarded these cells before," she said. "I know the defenses that are put on this place. If we step a foot outside of this room before the Encryption disintegrates, we won't live to see ourselves out of the Compound."

Nya sat back against the wall with a groan. "So we're stuck here for as long as they keep us here."

"Pretty much." Eboni tilted her head towards Nya. "Don't quote me on this, but I'll bet that's less time than you're thinking."

"What do you mean?"

Eboni just gazed at her for a moment, her hazel eyes searching Nya's.

"The Samurai X has been whispered about in the upper ranks for months now," she said at last. "You're a skilled, smart warrior and a liability to the Ninja. I doubt we caught you to show you off in a display in the Underworld - and if that were the case, then sticking you in a dark cell at the bottom of the Compound is a _great_ way to do that." This last was drier than dry.

Nya couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But - but what's so important about me?" she said. "Yeah, I can see why they'd want to hold me hostage, especially if they're trying to get at the Ninja through me, but -?"

Eboni shook her head. "Don't ask me. I couldn't tell you even if I did know. All I'm saying is that, if they caught you for a reason, you might be getting out of this cell pretty quick."

Nya stared at the lamp, which blinked miserably in the darkness. "But what about you?" she asked at last.

Eboni snorted. "Well, I _am_ stuck here until they feel like dragging me back out. Probably in a month or two, when my wounds are a little more healed. If they wanted me to die in here they wouldn't have put me in a cell with an honorable Samurai."

Nya allowed a soft chuckle. "I guess not."

The lamp finally snuffed out.

Something prickled across Nya's scalp, and she jumped. Were the Whisperers already back? Or was that just air?

Eboni groaned. "Ah. Just our luck."

"What?"

"I think I know which cell we're in."

A shuffle of fabric as Eboni sat up beside Nya. "Got a pen?"

Nya's brow twitched. "I don't even have pants."

"Right, I knew that..." The shuffling continued. "Do _I_ have a pen...?"

"What do you need a pen -?"

Nya cut herself off when something rustled in her ear. It wasn't Eboni - it was coming from her other side. She listened, and to her absolute dread, she heard a choked "_Got a pen? Got a pen?_" over Eboni's rummaging.

"Eboni," Nya whispered.

"_Got a pen? Oh, just our - luck - l-llllluck._"

Eboni's voice, in comparison to that of the Whisperers', was thundering - she sounded incredulous. "FSM... Nya, you're not Fading already, are you?"

"_Eff. Ess. Emmmmmm._"

Nya whimpered and put her hands over her ears. This was stupid. They were just voices. She couldn't even feel the Whisperers yet.

And Eboni was here. Nya would be just fine.

But they would be here soon - yes, yes they would, and they'd crawl all over her and sing and laugh and _whisper_.

Something touched her cheek. Nya yelped and flinched, but Eboni hushed her, continuing to stroke her jaw as Nya realized that was only her cellmate.

"You're Fading." Eboni moaned again. "The Whisperers got you. _Overlord_... I should have set up a _Bar'yer_ before."

"Eboni - wh-what are you talking about?" Nya said, bringing her knees up to her chest. _The Whisperers got me? _

"I don't have a pen. Damn... the perks to the tattoos..." Eboni removed her hand from Nya's face.

"_You're Fading, you're Fading,_" the Whisperers repeated. "_Fading... Fa-a-a-a-ading...!_"

Nya reached for Eboni's hand again. "N-n," she said, searching desperately for Eboni's fingers. "Don't leave me alone with them!"

"Hey, Nya." Eboni grabbed both of Nya's hands in hers. In the darkness, neither could see the other, but suddenly Eboni's voice was near Nya's cheek. "You're under the Whisperer's spell. Just relax, alright?"

Nya breathed in and out, her heart rattling her violently with each beat as Eboni removed one of her hands from Nya's.

Eboni gave a hiss of pain.

"_Are you? Are you? Fa-a-a-ading? - already, are you - Fading?_"

Something wet and thin hit the floor.

A stream of blood.

There came an erratic, grimy _thrrrrrsh, thrrrrrsh _\- Eboni spread her blood, pouring from a reopened wound, over the floor with one hand.

"What are you doing?" Nya demanded, but Eboni gripped her wrist harder.

"Relax. Don't speak."

The Whisperers kept talking. "_Nya, you're not Fading already -? Nya -? Nya -? kch! What a pretty name._"

Nya squeezed her eyes shut - like that made any difference, in the pitch black - and leaned forward until her forehead met Eboni's collar. _What are you doing, Eboni? What are you doing...?_

A rush of air - Nya's hair whipped away from her face, and through her eyelids burst a blast of violet light. She opened her eyes, shocked, at the same time as the Whisperers screamed.

An otherworldly, core-wrenching, soul-rending chorus of screams filled the air. The symbol glowing on the floor flooded the cell with violet light, reaching up to the darkness, where Nya could see thousands of Whisperer's eyes, white, swirling, trembling.

Eboni's lips twitched upwards. "Burn," she whispered.

And the screams extinguished like the symbol's light.

Nya breathed into Eboni's hair for a moment, heart still thudding.

"There," Eboni said. She caught Nya's neck, and Nya felt a familiar, prickling, soothing _burn_ spread from her fingers into the rest of the Samurai. "Shh. Forget the Whisperers..."

Nya felt her fear ebbing. How did she get there, in the arms of the person who was so reluctant to even associate with her?

She let go of Eboni and backed up a few paces. "What did you just do?" she breathed. "Where are the Whisperers?"

"I ordered them away," Eboni said flatly. "They wouldn't be here in the first place, but we're in the cell right next to the _Dyra_ \- where we keep all the Whisperers."

"You keep -?" Nya cut herself off once again. Of course the Hidein kept Whisperers.

"Feel better?" Eboni said.

"Y-yeah. But how did you do that? If I was really under a spell, how did you lift it?"

"Easy. I Burned the spell away." Eboni scoffed. "Ah - I guess you wouldn't know. Hidoi controls Whisperers."

"Oh." Nya turned away from Eboni. It was completely dark again - but Nya wasn't nearly as frightened as she was before. Had that been part of the spell? "So... are they gonna come back?"

"... Normally, no, they wouldn't. They can move in and out of Encryptions at their own discretion, but as long as my Hidoi keeps them away, they can't come close to us." Eboni exhaled wearily. "But I can't hold them for long."

"Because you're too weak?"

"Of course not," Eboni snapped. "There's just so many Whisperers in the _Dyra_. I don't know exactly how many we keep, but I know it's in the hundreds... if they all wanted to get in here, I wouldn't be able to suppress them. The Encryption interferes with my ability to use Hidoi."

Nya was starting a database of questions she needed to ask. Luckily, she had all the time in the world to get them answered. "What's an Encryption?"

"It's a barrier," Eboni explained. "There are different kinds of Encryptions. The one placed on our cell is a _Shiganye_ Encryption. It'll Stifles and Burns whatever's inside of it, perfect for holding people captive."

"Wait - so, Burning. That's a thing?"

"Yeah. Burning is how you use all of Hidoi."

"The Encryption is... _Burning_ us?"

"Don't freak out. It just means we're trapped."

"Oh. What about - uh - Stifling, was it?"

"Yeah. That's just what's making us tired."

There was silence for a bit. Blessed silence.

No Whisperers.

"So... what are we gonna do, while we're stuck in here?" Nya asked at last.

"Die internally?" Eboni suggested sarcastically.

Nya didn't laugh.


	38. Singe

Singe

* * *

Down, Cafeteria

6:53 PM

* * *

Lloyd was slowly growing accustomed to dinners in Down. There wasn't a lot of conversation around the table—understandable, as most of the diners were exhausted from running several Singes, and those who hadn't, training zealously to prepare for those patrols. London and Dr. Julien continued the discussion from the MTR earlier about Whisperers. Gahiji added his own pithy rebukes here and there, and Ed and Edna chimed in, too, obviously thrilled by the unburying of one of their favorite topics.

Lloyd didn't feel like listening: he knew he would get hopelessly confused if he did. Fortunately, the others didn't, either, so Lloyd, Azamat, and the other Ninja talked about the sparring match between Cole and Azamat.

It grew late. Dishes clinked into the sink, and a lot of the adults left, weary from their discussion. Amilia and December, who had spent all of dinner chatting, left together, waving to the Ninja who stayed to talk with Azamat.

London put a load of dishes into the washer and left, and still the Ninja talked.

"So tomorrow's Saturday," Cole said, directing his fork at Azamat. "Your birthday?"

Azamat grinned and nodded. "Amilia and I are turning sixteen."

"Ahh, sweet sixteen," Cole said, smirking and raising one eyebrow. "So, you're going blue tomorrow. What else?"

"Well." Azamat glanced at the ceiling. "_I'm_ planning to spend most of my birthday with my friends. We're all heading out to NinjaGo City. I want to get my hair cut and visit that super-cool music store they have there on main street, and there's a few other things I wanna do, too, but after lunch we'll meet up with Amilia to get some _Adelaide's_ chocolate. She's going to buy herself some new art stuff."

"That's a lot," Lloyd said.

"So where do you go to get your hair done?" Kai asked.

"Well, I've always just gone to Ken Cuts, but this time I'm going to this Peyton Alva guy." Azamat twiddled his fork across the remains of his salmon fillet and rice, like a drafting compass. "I want something pretty edgy done, and I don't think Ken Cuts are gonna—ahem, cut it."

Jay spoke for the first time. "I know Peyton," he said.

The Ninja all looked at him. "You do?" Cole said.

" 'Course. Ma used to get her hair done there all the time."

"Wait—Mrs. Walker got her hair done at Peyton Alva's," Azamat repeated, a grin twitching at the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah." Jay, flustered by the sudden attention, blushed. "Aw, that's not weird, is it? She got her hair dyed all the time. She always looked like a blue and gold macaw when she got back from the City."

"Really?" Lloyd thought of Jay's mother, whose hair this evening had been done in a tight, tidy, graying bun.

"Come on, you guys didn't know this?" Jay traced a squiggly motion on his shoulder. "She's got a snake tattoo, too. You've never seen it?"

The Ninja all shook their heads, eyes wide. Kai grinned, but Zane looked a little horrified.

"She has a little blue star on her knuckle, too. Come _on_, you've got to have seen that one."

They shook their heads again.

Jay rolled his eyes and put his chin in his hand. "I'll tell her to show you later."

While Lloyd processed this, Azamat bounced in his seat, ecstatic. "Definitely!"

Kai eyed him. "You want a tattoo, Azamat?" he said.

Azamat reined it in a little. "Well, I have a friend who's a tattoo artist and he does really cool stuff. He said when I turn eighteen, if I have a design, he'll do it."

"... That's it? You just think they're cool, so you want one?"

"Yeah." Azamat sighed and mirrored Jay, resting his jaw in his palm. "But for now, I wait. And get a peacock haircut." He gave a small smirk. "Which, honestly, is almost as good."

"So you really are gonna turn blue tomorrow?" Jay inquired. "That'll look really good on you."

"Are you really allowed an opinion, Blue Ninja?" Kai said dryly.

"Hey, hey," Jay said, while Lloyd and Azamat laughed. "I know my shades of blue, Kai, you doubter."

Then Jay cringed and looked away. It took the others a moment to realize why—then they thought of Nya, too, and shut their mouths. Azamat glanced from Jay to the others, then picked up his fork and pretended not to feel awkward by twiddling it across his plate.

Cole suddenly elbowed Lloyd. "Hey. Weren't we supposed to go on a patrol?"

Lloyd blinked. "Uh... yeah."

"I'm sure someone would have come to get you," Zane said. "And perhaps they still will. Did London tell you who would be taking you?"

"Uh." Lloyd and Cole exchanged looks. "No."

"I 'spect Gahiji will take you somewhere," Azamat said, stifling a yawn.

"Should we go find him?" Lloyd asked Cole.

Cole hesitated. "Yeah. It's about time we cleaned up, anyways."

Jay gave a short groan. "Well, have fun with Grump-hiji," he said bitterly. "You're sure to have a blast."

They all stared at him.

"_Grump_-hiji?" Kai repeated.

Jay raised his hands and waved them violently back and forth, blanching. "That's not what I meant to—uh—! Sorry, I was just thinking that, I guess it popped out—cuz he's so grumpy all the time, y'know?" He groaned. "D-don't tell him I said that, would you?"

But the rest of them all burst out laughing. Lloyd clapped a hand to his forehead. "_Jay_!" he exclaimed as Azamat smacked his forehead against the table. Kai hid his face in his hands, shaking with laughter.

"Me and my big mouth..." Jay slumped in his seat, blushing furiously.

"It's not funny," Cole said, recovering. "Gahiji's got a lot of reason to be—uh—well, I mean—" He laughed again. "Spinjitzu _Master_, Jay! It's so true!"

"That's hilarious!" Azamat exclaimed, leaning over the table a little, shoving his empty dishes aside. "Grump-hiji... Heh, or_ Crab_-hiji, cuz he's so crabby."

This earned even more laughter.

"Really," Zane said, "we shouldn't treat this matter with levity. Cole is right. He has—em, reasons for his behavior." But he, too, sounded on the verge of cracking up.

"Crab-hiji?" Jay was finally a little more comfortable with his slip-up. "Don't you mean Grumble-hiji, Azamat?"

"What did you say? Rage-hiji?" Azamat said, cupping a hand to his ear.

Kai whimpered with laughter, ducking under the table.

"No no, _Grouch_-hiji," Jay corrected him, struggling to maintain a straight face. Lloyd knew they really shouldn't be laughing, but it was so _true_.

"Wait a moment, here, Jay," Azamat said, raising a hand. He, too, was attempting to keep himself assembled after a bout of violent laughter. "I, myself, prefer a more ironic twist. For example." He cleared his throat. "_Giggle_-hiji."

Lloyd was going to pass out, he was laughing so hard. He had to turn from the group until he could compose himself, wheezing for breath—and in doing so, he caught sight of December, peering in at them from the doorway.

Lloyd straightened. "H-hi."

The Ninja turned and clamped their mouths shut.

Except Kai, who still hid under the table, guffawing.

December's expression looked maddeningly blank. "We can hear you all through Down," she said. "What are you laughing about?"

"Uh..."

No one wanted to say "your brother".

But December cracked a grin. "_Giggle-_hiji? You don't mean Gahiji, do you?"

Another explosive fit of laughter sounded, muffled, from under the table. Lloyd dealt Kai a solid jab in the back with his elbow, but the Red Ninja's mirth barely faltered.

"But Gahiji doesn't laugh at all," December said.

Jay raised his hand. "See, that's the irony," he explained. "He _doesn't_ laugh, let alone—" And here, he barely choked down his laughter. "—let alone _giggle_."

December snickered, then covered her mouth against some more open snorts. Then they all guffawed without restraint.

"As long as we're on this train of thought," December said over the commotion, "you might as well call him Tee-hee-hiji!"

The room's contents collapsed in conniptions of hilarity.

"What's going on in here?"

Kai's head thudded against the underside of the table before he pulled himself out from under it, disoriented. The room had fallen completely silent in less than a second.

Gahiji peered into the Cafeteria, scowling.

"_This_ is what's keeping you?" he drawled, raising one eyebrow at his sister. December shrugged, then bit her lip against a crazy grin and choked down a laugh. Fortunately, Gahiji had turned away, and didn't notice.

"Brookstone, Garmadon. It's time."

Both of them stood up. "R-right," Cole said.

"Yessir, Grumphiji," Lloyd said.

Everyone froze.

Gahiji narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

Lloyd stammered.

"I mean—! Sorry—not—no, uh—yessir."

Jay groaned, clapping a hand to his forehead.

"Uh—y-yessir, I'm coming."

Lloyd's face was about as hot as the salmon fillet when it came out of the frying pan, and, he was sure, was about the same shade of pink.

Gahiji glanced skywards.

Then he turned on his heel and started back down the corridor. "The Singe isn't going to run itself."

They were out the doorway in the heartbeat that Gahiji turned. Lloyd cursed his terrible timing and simultaneously uttered thanks to the First Spinjitzu Master that he was still alive, falling into step beside Cole and December.

"That was close," Cole whispered.

Gahiji's cloak swished—Lloyd could hear his disapproval in each footstep that echoed down the hall.

"But we're not out of the woods yet," December admitted, wincing.

Lloyd shuddered.

* * *

Torchfire Mountain, at the foot of the volcano

7:06 PM

* * *

The teleportation process was a lot less laughter-provoking than the last time that Cole had experienced it. Everything was orange; it seemed to Cole a lot like what a sphere of amber would look like if it suddenly liquified.

But even when the glow faded, they were left standing in a desert the color of peach meat. The sunset in the Badlands bled like thickened fruit syrup over the flats and dunes. No breeze ruffled their cloaks—only the heat of the day, stored beneath the sand, shimmered up through the air and distorted their vision. The sun hovered just above a hummock of cantaloupe sand, a glowing white pearl in the perfect scarlet of the sky.

Cole and Lloyd both bent over, coughing, when the teleportation effects wore off. Cole felt thirsty already—sand sifted itself into his shoes and the hot, still air was almost suffocating.

"Teleportation is one of the trickier Shauto maneuvers," December said, shoving her coin in a pocket of her cargo pants. "For first-time Shautei, and those who don't know Shauto, we usually transport them via the jets—the teleportation process is quite disorienting the first time you use it."

Cole heard the apology in her voice. Obviously Gahiji had no choice, the night he'd had to teleport them to Down, but apparently it wasn't standard protocol.

Lloyd looked up, and in doing so, stumbled backwards a few paces. "Woah. Uh, that's Torchfire Mountain, right?" he said, pointing up at the volcano to their right.

Torchfire Mountain's fiery pink planes and ridges cast stark shadows of blue-black that crisscrossed over itself, making it look like a colossal burning crystal in the desert dusk.

"It surely is." December gestured to the pouches on their belts. "Hey, find your Rescue stone."

"This is so cool," Lloyd muttered to Cole as they searched. "This is like—like—Starfarer Con."

Cole raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't been this excited since I got to meet Kent Greene. You know, the author of Starfarer." Lloyd definitely looked flushed.

Cole couldn't help but chuckle at him."I can relate to that. It's exciting, huh?"

" 'Ey, Gahiji, will you pull up the Shields?" December asked, having apparently missed this entire exchange.

Gahiji, in the Control Room back in Down, didn't reply. The next thing the Ninja knew, December was glowing.

Cole blinked several times, and Lloyd rubbed his eyes, both trying to wrap their heads around the sight before them. December was now surrounded by a yellow, green, pink, and blue, the colors swirling in a thick aura. They were textured—Cole blinked until his eyes stung—like frosting on a cupcake. It contrasted brilliantly with the rest of the red-and-gold landscape.

"Don't be alarmed," December said, grinning at their reactions. "This is just my Shield." She traced the contours of light and color that curled around her in eddies of what looked like emerald and ultramarine sugar.

"Wow," Lloyd breathed. "And here I thought I was using See on accident. Why is it those colors?"

"I don't know," December admitted. "It's what my soul looks like, I guess."

Gahiji's voice vibrated from Cole's wrist communicator. "Brace yourselves."

They had barely received the warning before a shock hit Cole—it felt like someone grabbed him around the middle and squeezed as hard as they could. His feet started to tingle; the Shauto symbols tied around his ankles began to glare bronze, and an orb of gray and mahogany formed around him.

Cole shouted and nearly toppled backwards. He caught himself, however, in time to watch hundreds of beige and ashen pebbles materialize and hover around him. He was seized with the power of his own Element.

Cole stuttered for a moment. He couldn't work any actual words out, especially not when he tried to catch one of the rocks in his hand, and his fingers went straight through it as if through a holographic image.

"You alright?" December asked.

Cole swallowed, still panting, but nodded.

Lloyd waited anxiously, feet braced apart, for his own Shield to activate. Cole, despite some of his vision being obscured by what looked like a miniature Spinjitzu tornado, watched.

Lloyd's Shield blazed to life. Cole's eyebrows shot into the air—it looked like a giant ghostly lemon.

"That's weird," he said.

"I told you," Lloyd said, gesturing breathlessly to himself. "Buttered movie-theatre popcorn!" His soul aura billowed like a sphere of sulfurous smoke, shimmering with white flecks.

"Woah," December remarked. "I'd have thought that the Green Ninja's soul aura would be... well... green."

"No kidding," Lloyd said. "I thought that Elemental Master's souls were supposed to be completely in-tune with their Element...? See, Cole's looks like his Element."

December nodded, gazing at Lloyd, then at the Earth Ninja. "That is _really_ weird," she said.

"Hey," Gahiji addressed them. "You know See, Lloyd?"

"Uh—yeah."

"Use it."

They all looked at each other, wincing. That sounded a lot like "hurry up" to Cole.

Cole and Lloyd had both been given all the gear needed to run a Singe, including the Shield anklets, a belt with many pockets, and a long black cloak. The most significant of this equipment was the pouch containing a bunch of Shauto stones, a set of two pens, eight vials of peppermint extract, and a packet of mint candies. Lloyd rummaged in this bag now, fishing out the See Stone and holding it up triumphantly.

"Go ahead, use it," December said. "See is how we find Whisperers."

Lloyd turned the stone over in his palm and murmured, "_Pokazhite mnye potok_." Cole felt a faint rush of Shauto, and Lloyd's eyes glazed over, becoming completely white.

"What does that mean, anyway?" Cole asked December. "_Pokazhite mnye potok_?"

" '_Show me the truth'_," December replied, resting one hand on her hip. "When you say '_Pokazhite mnye potok_', you're directly asking Shauto to show you what's really there, not just what you can see with your own eyes. ... I think that's what it means. Gahiji knows Amid better than I do."

"Okay, cool." Cole paused, and they both watched Lloyd peer around.

"Dr. Julien said that Shauto speaks Amid," he added at last. "Or, at least, that was the gist. So does that mean Shauto _doesn't_ understand Ninjagian?"

December's eyebrows raised a little. "Uh... Huh. I don't know that it doesn't understand Ninjagian, but it seems to only respond to Amid. ... I really don't know."

Lloyd swept his hair back from his forehead, exhaling. "See is still a little disorienting," he admitted. "I'm assuming Whisperers are those black dots?"

"Right," December said. "So where are they?"

Lloyd pointed to one side of the volcano. "There's one dot over there," he said. "And..." He faltered. "... A _lot_ over there," he finished, swinging his arm to indicate the other side.

Cole's fists clenched involuntarily. "How many? Can you count them?"

Lloyd's mouth worked silently, his finger bouncing up and down in the same general area as he counted the Whisperers—his expression grew steadily more horrified. Cole squinted in that direction, and he could see a gray smudge on the horizon, too, even without using Shauto. The Badland heat still seemed determined to undermine his efforts, even in retreat for the night, and made the image undulate and quiver.

"Ten," Lloyd said quietly. "Eleven, twelve, thirteen."

Cole glanced to December, who looked pale. She relayed the information to her wrist communicator, her eyes shifting to white as she, too, attempted to count the Whisperers on the horizon.

Cole eyed them both. The he rummaged in his own pouch, pulled out his See stone, gripped it tight in one gloved hand, and said, "_Pokazhite mnye potok._"

It was _thrilling_.

The world became as white as the Glacier Barrens in the dead of winter, but for December and Lloyd's auras. Cole had to shake himself—the transition from crimsons and golds to snowy landscapes nearly blinded him. The craggy coral face of the volcano was now silver. The marble sands of the desert stretched out for miles. The sun was a still a pearl, only ashen, now, a strange, dully shining feather-gray.

Lloyd and December were both supernatural outlines of themselves, and his own body was see-through; the Shauto stone was completely visible through the back of his hand, glowing green.

Now he could better see the Whisperers in the distance. Cole blinked the last of his shock and began to count. The heat waves no longer inhibited his vision.

One, two three, four, five... twelve, thirteen. From this distance, they appeared as deceitfully cute black puffballs, not showing any signs of budging from their spot on the horizon.

"Is this what Whisperers normally do?" Cole asked, a nervous edge to his voice.

"No," December said. She glanced from her communicator to the far-off Whisperers several times. "No, this is not normal."

Lloyd tapped Cole on the shoulder, making the Master of Earth start and turn to him. Lloyd's translucent gray finger pointed towards the group of Whisperers.

"Cole, do you see that, there? Does that little dot look blue to you?"

Cole narrowed his eyes, trying to follow Lloyd's blurry index finger to the corner of the Whisperers. "I don't see—" he started, then caught sight of it.

A little dot, much smaller than the rest of the black ones. It was hard to make out the color of it, but it did appear to be a sort of blotted gray-blue-periwinkle.

"It _is_ blue," he said. He rubbed his strained eyes. "And look, there's a white one, too. And a purple one!"

"Hey, December," Lloyd said, still pointing vehemently at the cluster. "Look, do you see colored dots in there?"

"Where?"

Lloyd caught her by the shoulder and held her down next to his arm, following his arm out to the corner of the gathering. "At the edge," he said, and December gave a small groan.

"I see it," she said. "Gosh, we can't run a _single_ Singe without running into these guys anymore?"

"What is it?" Cole and Lloyd asked in unison, both dreading the reply.

"Hidein," December said. She lifted her wrist communicator and said, "So, _braht_, what do we do?"

Cole and Lloyd both fell silent. Over the faint, bubbly rumble of the volcano far above, they listened for Gahiji's voice through the speakers.

"How many Hidein?" he said.

"I count three, but we're really far away. Send the Birds for recon."

"Three?" There came a few clicks from the other end. "Most likely, it's a group of Hidein collecting Whisperers."

"Collecting Whisperers?" December repeated. Her brow twitched in irritation. "Hey, listen, you—"

Gahiji ignored her. "They gather 'rogue' Whisperers and take them back to their base. It'll be easier to fight them when they're collecting like this. Their Hidoi will be divided between the Whisperers."

"Hold on, hold on!" December was becoming impatient. "I know you don't like to talk about your time with Wyche—but you _knew_ that his soldiers collected Whisperers? We knew he was in control of them, but you _knew_ how of this all worked, and you didn't bother to tell us?"

"I forgot."

Gahiji's tone was so flat that it was somehow jeering. December opened her mouth, then chuckled ruefully and thumped her wrist a few times to vent, grinning, but indisputably annoyed.

"I am _not_ ignoring that, Gahiji. But what do we do?"

"I need a clear view of the situation first, but I'll teleport to you and have Amilia take the wings."

"Great."

December dropped her arm back to her side. "You can stop using See, now, Gahiji's going to get a better look," she told Cole and Lloyd, who switched hands with their Shauto stones, blinking back to their own color vision. At least the sun was nestling itself into the highest dune, cutting the heat and bright oranges of sunset in half.

"So?" Cole said. "What's the plan?"

December let out a deep breath. "Well, I don't know much about fighting Hidein, but it's gonna be tricky. We're gonna have to use Shauto against the Whisperers, and fight hand-to-hand with the Hidein at the same time—they'll use Hidoi against us, too." She held up her Rescue stone. "You can use Rescue against them; it'll have the same effect as when Lloyd uses a kamehameha against a regular person."

Cole found his own Rescue stone and gripped it.

"We'll have Gahiji here, I think," December said, sounding immensely relieved by the prospect. "Just... keep each other's backs, and we'll be fine."

Lloyd and Cole exchanged looks. Lloyd's hands were already crackling with Shauto.

"Here, crouch down," December said, gesturing for them to join her on their knees in the sandy rocks. "As soon as Gahiji gives the word, we'll move."

She glanced over her shoulder at the two of them crouching next to her, offering a bleak smile. "You guys doing alright? ... Heck of a first Singe, huh?"

Cole snorted in response.

"Oh, yeah. The simple Heal ritual is _zhiit_. Just draw a circle and Punctuate it - there's not enough time to teach you the real thing, but that should heal at least a little bit."

"And _zhiit_?" Cole inquired after a pause. "What does _that_ mean?"

December grimaced. " _'Live'_."

Another silence.

"I take it back," Lloyd said under his breath. "This is not like Starfarer Con. Not at all."

December's head whipped in his direction faster than Cole could blink. "What did you say?"

Lloyd blushed. "I—well—nothing, I was—mostly, just, talking to myself—"

"Starfarer?" December's eyes glittered. She turned and grabbed Lloyd by the shoulders, shaking him wildly. "What about Starfarer?"

"Uh—!"

"Are you a Donnifan too?" December demanded.

"What?" Lloyd's shock increased. "You—_you_—?!"

The wrist communicator made a strange sound. It took Cole a moment to register that Gahiji was groaning.

"Answer the question!_ Are you a Donnifan?_"

Lloyd finally beamed, a _huge_ grin that took up his entire face. "For-_ever_, sister!" he cried, and they high-fived, the resounding _smack! _echoing off the volcano's face. Both Lloyd and December laughed helplessly.

Cole felt a sudden, disturbing connection with third wheels.

"This is great," Gahiji said. Even over the wrist communicator's speaker, the dripping displeasure in his tone was _painfully_ audible. "But those Whisperers are moving towards you fast."

The joyous union was put to an abrupt halt. "Towards _us_?" December repeated, her eyes growing wider. "You're not serious?"

"I am." The words were clipped and annoyed.

"Great!" Cole said vehemently. "So the plan is to sit here and wait for them?"

"No. Give me thirty seconds." There was a _thp_ of static as Gahiji terminated the link, and the communicator's speakers fell silent.

There was a pause.

"You know what this is like?" Lloyd said at last.

"What?" December and Cole said in unison.

"This is like in volume four, where Princess Stoskai is waiting for Captain Orachid to show up and save them from the atlantic giants."

Lloyd grinned unapologetically while December laughed. Cole fought the urge to slap himself in the face.

"Would that mean that Gahiji is Captain Orachid?" December asked.

This sent both Lloyd and December into fits of hysterical giggling, for which only the pair of them would ever understand why. Cole could only watch, fascinated and a little disturbed by the extreme geekiness of his companions.

* * *

Gahiji materialized beside Lloyd. Lloyd gasped and recoiled—he was still not used to the whole teleportation thing. It took a second to calm himself as the amber sparks dispersed like spinning flames.

"Eyy, _braht_," December said, nudging him, obviously anxious. "How do we do this?"

A glove hid the Hidoi tattoos on Gahiji's right arm. He rolled back the other sleeve of his cloak, and Lloyd found himself unable to tear his gaze away from the emerald labyrinth of tattoos wrapping over and under his arm, down his fingers, and into his palm.

The twisting greens seemed too vivid for his dark skin. Lloyd realized after a moment that the ink was _alive_ with the actual power of Shauto. This he felt more than saw, as the leftover Shauto from Gahiji's teleportation faded, still throbbing gently, pulsed in his soul.

Gahiji rolled his sleeve back until it bunched at the elbow. He was already facing the distant Hidein and Whisperers when he teleported, and he never took his eyes from them as he absently slipped a See stone from his pouch into his glowing, tattooed fingers. Cole's eyes followed the tattoos, too, and he and Lloyd both stared in awe of the commitment and might that they represented, the ink stirring to life and lighting Gahiji's dark features with serious, true power.

"Destroying the Whisperers is our first priority," Gahiji said quietly. His eyes were pure white as he used See to view the enemy in the distance. He tilted his head slightly. "Cole and December, remain here. December, instruct Cole in Rescuing from a distance."

_They're nearly a mile out, and there's thirteen of them,_ Lloyd almost said. Gahiji seemed confident that it could be done, however, so he kept his mouth shut.

Cole nodded.

Gahiji then turned around, facing Lloyd. His flat white stare disoriented the Green Ninja, and it took a moment for him to realize that he was looking _through_ Lloyd, and not at him. "We'll deal with that one last," he said, referencing the Whisperer on the other side of the horizon. Then his eyes shimmered to silver, fixed now upon Lloyd. "You come with me, Garmadon."

Lloyd didn't doubt his ability to hold his own in a fight—he was the Green Ninja, for crying out loud—but he couldn't stifle some surprise. "Me? Not December?"

"Your access to Shauto is infinitely wider than December's, as you are the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master. You are a trained Elemental Ninja." Indifferently, Gahiji turned back to the cluster of Whisperers. "December must be the one to instruct Cole in long-distance Rescue."

"Right," Lloyd said. _That makes sense, but... _

Gahiji made a quick gesture with his glowing hand for Lloyd to step up beside him, which Lloyd did, his face draining.

"G'luck, _braht_," December said.

Gahiji nodded. He turned to Lloyd.

"Channel your power. Do not restrain it. Understand?"

Lloyd blinked. Then he attempted a smile. "We're gonna blast them dead?"

Gahiji turned back to the horizon, his frown lifting the barest fraction.

A warmth on the back of his neck. Lloyd stiffened when Gahiji touched him, when Shauto flooded through his tattoos and into Lloyd's shoulders. Gahiji said something in Amid to his teleportation coin.

And Lloyd understood it.

"_Myy nachali_," Gahiji said.

"_And now, it begins._"

Lloyd's breath caught. _How...? _

How could he _possibly_ have gleaned Gahiji's meaning from the sounds that came out of his mouth?

Did Shauto translate speech, too? It would make sense, especially with Gahiji's hand on his neck and power coursing through his veins. That act would remove the barriers of language.

_So that was why I understood the Amid—but, em, why did he say _"And now it begins"_?_

Then, Shauto's fiery teleportation rush swept them both into a whirlwind of color and motion, and Lloyd understood again.

* * *

Down, Cafeteria

7:23 PM

* * *

Generally, in Down, Azamat never had more time than he knew what to do with. He was always doing something; whether it was patrolling, training, re-visiting the theory on a few different Shauto maneuvers, keeping up with his music theory, practicing or cooking. There was always something that needed doing. It never crossed his mind that one could be without task, or—Spinjitzu Master forbid—_bored_.

So it caught him completely off-guard to enter the cafeteria and find Kai at the table, surfing his phone, absolutely languid.

"Hey, Kai," Azamat said, waving once on his way past him.

Kai glanced at him. "Hey."

"What are you doing on your phone?" Azamat asked.

"Facebook."

"Oh, fun." Azamat pulled the first cupboard open, scanning its contents. When there was no further conversation, Azamat turned back to eye Kai. "You look bored," he said.

"Nah." Kai stifled a yawn. "I'm just... uh..."

"Bored?"

"... Yeah."

Azamat snorted. He closed the first cupboard and opened the second, his brow furrowing when he didn't find what he wanted. "You could go to bed. It's late enough." He searched the countertop, peering behind the toaster, the coffee maker, and the mixer. "You could do Takigyo... although, I have to say, you seem better than ever."

Kai grunted.

"You could hit the PTR..." Azamat trailed off. He patted his jean pockets, then opened the cupboards again, grimacing. "Hey, you haven't seen my mints, have you?"

"Your mints?" Kai turned around in his chair, eyebrows raising. "Try the Control Room. There must be thousands in there."

"Ha, ha. But I've got a box of candy canes somewhere in here. It's got my name on it, and a big blue bow."

"... Candy canes?"

"Yeah. It's a birthday present from Lila."

Kai blinked. "_Lila_?" he repeated.

"Yeah, Lila. My friend. She's from Orrora. Come _on_, it's here somewhere!" Azamat exclaimed, re-checking the cupboards. "I sure hope no one ate them, for their own sake."

Kai's eyebrows continued up his forehead.

"Come on, this sucks," Azamat said. "Where are my freaking candy canes? They were over here for the longest time. I had one a couple days ago."

He cut himself off when a blood curdling war cry echoed throughout Down.

A jolt of adrenaline and unpleasant deja vu seized Azamat. He slammed the cupboard door shut and rushed after Kai, who had jumped straight up and out the door.

He and the Master of Fire burst into the Control Room to find December, holding Cole by the scruff of the neck, restraining him. Sparks of orange fizzled in the air: they had just teleported.

"Woah, there," December said breathlessly. Her heels dug into the floor to constrain the Master of Earth. Cole's battle cry tapered off, and he glanced around, panicked and confused. "Easy. They're gone."

Cole looked beyond human communication. Finally, he said, "_What_?"

December let go of Cole's cloak. Cole hesitantly stood up straight, his fists still raised, eyes wild. Azamat noticed the Rescue stone that he clutched in his palm, and sighed, relieved to find that it was only the aftermath of Cole and Lloyd's first patrol.

"Gahiji and Lloyd should appear in approximately eight seconds." Amilia said from where she sat at the dashboard. She tilted one of the Birds' monitors towards her.

Air rushed into the Control Room from the doorway, ruffling Azamat's hair, and an amber glow gathered in the air next to Cole and December. Kai shielded his gaze, and Azamat had to squint, though he was used to the teleportation process.

Gahiji and Lloyd, accompanied by the Birds, materialized in the center of the light. They stood back to back, Lloyd's head pressed between Gahiji's shoulder-blades, his arms raised and a sphere of blinding light in between his palms. Gahiji held the teleportation coin in one flat palm, perfectly nonchalant but for the sour expression on his face. Lloyd's own war scream reverberated painfully in the Control Room.

Lloyd blinked several times, cutting off his shout. "Ha," he said faintly. "We're alive!"

Gahiji straightened his leather jacket, dropping the coin in his pocket. Lloyd dimmed the kamehameha in his hands, breathless.

"That's everybody," Amilia said. She reached into the fading teleportation glow and plucked the Birds from the air, switching them off and setting them on the dashboard. "Job well done, you guys!"

Lloyd and Cole both looked like they had just emerged from having to barricade themselves in a fallout shelter. They shed red sand every time they moved. Cole's hair was thrust back, encrusted in wet grit, and Lloyd's legs shook.

"We're gonna do that _regularly_?" Lloyd croaked.

Amilia handed them each a plastic water bottle. December didn't hesitate to guzzle hers. Both Cole and Lloyd stared for a moment at their own drinks, before registering an apparent thirst, and beginning to rehydrate themselves.

"How'd it go, then?" Kai said eagerly, as the rest of Down's occupants appeared in the doorway.

Cole laughed, wiping his mouth. "It was definitely not Starfarer Con."

"We fought _Hidein_," Lloyd said.

"Wh—Hidein?" Jay cried out. "Are you serious?"

"_Dead_." Lloyd put one hand on his hip and bent over, still trying to catch his breath. "They all got away, but we fought them, alright. As soon as all the Whisperers were dead, the Hidein ran off with their tails tucked between their legs."

"We deprived them of their easy weapon." Gahiji said. He stripped the Shauto glove from his right hand, rolling down his other sleeve. "

"There were _fourteen_ Whisperers," Cole said. "And all of them except one were together in a single group. It was crazy! That lone Whisperer nearly gutted me with wooden talons or something."

Azamat could not help but smile. Now that the two Ninja were semi-recovered from the experience, they were practically bouncing as they retold the moment's events, faces shining with sweat and the ecstasy of battle.

"Next time," Gahiji said quietly to London, "We're going to catch a Hidein, make him talk. Find out where they're stationed, at least."

"Good idea," London agreed.

Gahiji jabbed a finger at Cole and Lloyd, who were still bobbing and explaining and shouting with delight in between swigs of water. "They need sleep," he said.

London regarded the two Ninja for a moment, chuckling. "Ohh, yeah."


	39. My Soul

**Hey everyone! Quick announcement: I recently completed and posted an animated music video for Valentine's Day! It features characters found in Whisper, including Lloyd, December, Gahiji, and Azamat. It also contains spoilers, but if you don't mind those, then feel free to watch it! My Youtube channel is StoneByrd 63, video is "I Do Adore". **

**Happy belated Valentine's Day! And thank you for all your reviews on this story. Over 200 reviews. You guys blow my mind. **

* * *

My Soul

* * *

Room 8

8:00 PM

* * *

"Man, Zane," Kai said as he lay in bed. He held his phone at arm's length above him, gazing at the screen. "I can't wait to get out of here."

Zane, who was fluffing his pillow, looked up. "Pardon?"

"Don't you think it's suffocating in this place?" Kai glanced from his phone to Zane.

Zane had no idea whether it was Kai or the Whisperer's Spell talking.

"It could be viewed so," Zane admitted. "It is far underground, as well as underwater. I see your point—many people can be unnerved by the amount of pressure put on this structure."

"That's not what I'm talking about..." Kai switched off his phone and rolled over in bed, groaning.

Zane sat down on the edge of his own bed, gazing at Kai's back, puzzled. The giveaway for effects of the Whisperer's spell was generally an unfocused gaze, as well as a slightly higher-pitched voice. But Kai had shown neither of those signs as he spoke. Was Zane truly talking to Kai, then?

Why would he talk about something like this, especially if it could be perceived as an insecurity? This was extremely out of character.

_Perhaps he is still suffering from some effect of the Spell. It would be illogical to assume that only his voice and demeanor would be affected,_ Zane thought. _Azamat did say that he would feel increasingly angry, frightened, and abandoned. _

_Perhaps Kai feels lonely. _

"Are you talking about patrols?" Zane asked. "You would like to learn Shauto and leave Down to complete Singes?" However uncharacteristic it was for Kai to _talk_ about it, impatience with his slow pace in learning Shauto was certainly fitting.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's it." Kai's voice became muffled. "I wanna learn Shauto and get out on a patrol."

"I'm sure that can be arranged," Zane said. "I expect your training will be accelerated tomorrow."

"That's what Azamat said."

"And if you don't unlock Shauto tomorrow, then perhaps the next day."

"I'm not sure I can _wait_ two days."

Zane frowned. He arranged the blankets on his bed until they were smooth, standing up to do so.

"I share your impatience, you know, Kai."

This caught the Red Ninja's attention. He turned over in bed, watching Zane, who smiled ruefully.

"I long to unlock Shauto. I want to understand this magic which Cole and Lloyd know—which my father knows. We must learn it as soon as possible in order to effectively rescue Nya." His smile faded. "Jay, too, shares this longing. He is very patient, considering the circumstances."

Kai's expression grew solemn.

"I know how you feel," Zane concluded awkwardly.

The Master of Fire nodded once, smiling a little, but the smile didn't last long.

Silence followed this exchange.

"I'm thirsty," Kai said finally. He got out of bed, pocketing his phone, and waved absently to Zane on his way out the door. It was a very sudden exit; Zane barely registered Kai's wave before he was gone.

Zane stared after him for a moment. What an unusual exchange. Zane could not help wondering just how far along Kai was in his recovery.

In the light from the lamp on their shared bedside table, Zane removed his shirt and opened his chest panel. Reaching inside himself, he switched the lever labeled "sleep mode" down. This would set most of his system to run low-power for a while, allowing a recharge state.

As he closed his panel again, he remembered the time when he didn't know his true identity.

It was painful to recall waking up after a full night of rest and still feeling dreadfully tired. He had been able to tune that out after a while, but upon discovering his real form and his sleep mode, he had actually felt _rested_ in the mornings.

And since then, his systems had been able to function and process things so much faster and clearer. He was immensely grateful for the discovery of his identity. He could hardly imagine going back to his old life, where he woke every morning feeling hollow and sluggish.

It was impressive, when Zane reflected on it, that he could have functioned so well as a Ninja with a lack of power.

Someone tapped on the door. Zane looked up as Dr. Julien opened the door a crack, poking his head in and grinning at his son.

"Hey, Zane," he said, waving a little.

Zane attempted to voice a greeting, but sleep-mode had switched his voice box off. Having already put his shirt back on, he hastily removed it again, opened his panel, and switched sleep-mode off. "Good evening, father," he said at last, and Nikolai chuckled as he entered the room.

"Where's Kai?" he inquired.

"He said he was thirsty. I assume he went to the Cafeteria."

"Ah." Nikolai's smile widened. He gestured to Zane's chest. "May I?"

"Of course," Zane said, and scooted closer to the edge of the bed. Nikolai seated himself beside Zane, took out a micro-screwdriver and a pair of plastic tweezers from his shirt pocket, and pried opened Zane's chest panel with his gentle fingers.

"How are you feeling, Zane?" Nikolai asked. His hands were a little unsteady as he stuck the plastic tweezers into Zane's system, rearranging wires.

"I feel fine," Zane responded. "My systems are all online. My mental activity is stable, though my emotional levels could use balancing. I am still quite... disturbed, by the news of Nya."

"You know, she's not dead." Nikolai said it quickly, glancing from Zane's inner mechanics to his face.

"I always had a feeling that she wasn't. And yet, I didn't dare hope, not when the Hidein are involved."

Nikolai pressed a button experimentally. Zane felt a jolt as his funny switch was activated, and he sat up a little straighter.

"Mm." Nikolai switched it off, and Zane slumped again. "It is definitely affecting your faculties. Hold on a moment."

He switched hands with the tweezers and stuck the screwdriver inside. Zane winced as Nikolai tightened a few screws, knocked on a few parts. He tapped increasingly harder on the input for Zane's funny switch.

"It's not receiving properly." Nikolai gritted his teeth around the handle of the screwdriver as he stuck his hand deep into Zane's torso.

Zane tried to ask him what he was doing, but the farther Nikolai's fingers went into his chest, the harder it became to talk, as Nikolai's arm pressured his voice box. It was a little farther than Nikolai should have been going, especially keeping all Zane's systems online.

Zane's power source cast an icy blue glare over Nikolai's face, his forehead thrown into deeper shadow by the contrasting gold of the lamp. He retracted one hand, retrieved the screwdriver from between his teeth, and returned to deep inside.

"Oh, sorry," he said, moving his arm from where it rested on Zane's voice box once he realized it was there.

"It's fine."

"You're probably going to feel a lot of pressure," Nikolai said. "The receiver for your low-power mode is blocking some of the wires going to your funny switch, so I have to shift it over."

Zane set his jaw against an increasing strain in his chest. There was a high, barely audible _squeak, squeak, squeak,_ as Nikolai screwed something with the micro-screwdriver.

"Father," Zane said at last.

"Zane," Nikolai returned. He grunted a little as he worked, squinting to see in the small, dark space that he put his hands.

Zane stiffened as the screwdriver slipped. Nikolai apologized and removed his hands, instructing Zane to move closer to the lamp for more light.

"I don't believe you have ever told me," Zane continued after a moment. "Nothing in my memory suggests you having ever revealed…but... What powers me?"

Nikolai paused. His face was difficult to read in the mixed light sources.

"Well." He smiled sadly.

Nikolai ran his thumb over the outer rim of Zane's power source. It pulsed in Zane's chest, the light swirling blue and white.

"Do you not know, yourself?" Zane asked quickly. "Where did you find it? Perhaps I can help identify it. I can search for related items on the internet. If you could tell me where, when, and under what circumstances you found it..."

"It's not that simple."

Nikolai's tone had taken on a note of affection that Zane had never heard before. His voice, rough and aged though it was, seemed to gently smooth Zane's ideas and questions down, silencing the Nindroid like throwing a quilt over an electric fan—for some reason, Zane no longer found the heart to inquire further.

Then Zane felt a sharp jolt. Nikolai cringed, and the pressure on Zane's insides lifted slightly.

"One of the wires sparked," Nikolai said. "That's what I get. Are you alright?"

Zane nodded, and Nikolai continued tinkering.

"Alright," Nikolai said at last, pulling his hands out.

He gave Zane a long look.

"That's not all, Zane."

"Pardon?"

"Your systems show signs of intense stress. The news of Nya—news that you received a mere day ago—should not have turned your central command to mush."

Zane bit his lip.

"Father..."

"Talk to me, Zane. What is it that you are fearing?"

"I am afraid that I cannot unlock Shauto."

Nikolai's expression softened. "Is that all?" he said. "Oh, Zane. What makes you think so?"

"All current evidence points to the conclusion."

Zane clasped his hands in his lap, finding it hard to look his father in the eyes. He gazed at the lamp instead. "London has explained about how Shauto draws on the Elements of your soul," he said. "But, father... as far as I am aware... I... I do not have a soul."

Nikolai stared.

"I am a Nindroid." Zane tried to articulate himself. "I am built of metal, and I have not entered this world with a soul—I cannot _harbor_ a soul, as I am an artificial intelligence." Zane looked down. "There is no way that I can unlock or wield Shauto without a soul."

There was a silence.

"Zane," Nikolai said slowly.

He gripped Zane's shoulders and gave him a light shake.

"You are the Master of Ice. You wield this Element. You know and use Spinjitzu. If you have no soul, then _how are these things possible?_"

Zane's insides sparked again, but this time, it was from a burst of clarity.

"Father? What are you saying—?"

Kai walked through the door, yawning loudly.

Upon opening his eyes, he backed up. "O-oh," he said. He glanced from Zane to Dr. Julien repeatedly. "Sorry—I can go."

"No, no." Nikolai stood up. "I should leave. You both have a long day ahead of you tomorrow, and you need rest."

He turned to Zane again. "Try your funny switch. It should work now."

"I will," Zane said.

"G'night, Dr. Julien," Kai said, as Zane's father crossed the room.

"G'night, Kai. Tomorrow your Shauto training kicks into full gear, I expect."

Kai forced a grin as Dr. Julien patted him on the shoulder and left. But as soon as the door shut, his expression dimmed to a scowl.

As Kai slipped under the covers, Zane fiddled with his chest panel. He reached inside, prodding resolutely for his funny switch, and pressed it.

Immediately, something warm and unprecedentedly powerful seized Zane. He gasped.

Perhaps his funny switch really _had_ been malfunctioning, because this was a feeling like Zane had never experienced before. It made his spine tingle and his fingers itch. It felt like...

... Like...

There was no way.

Zane turned his funny switch off, thinking that if it really _was_ the humor that made him feel this good, then the emotion would be switched off along with the lever.

But the fire remained. Zane scanned himself, and found his power level at unorthodox levels.

"Is this...?" he whispered aloud.

_... Have I unlocked Shauto?_

" 'Ey, Frosty," Kai said, turning over in bed to gaze dully at him. "What's up?"

"I am—not sure," Zane confessed.

"Well, _what_? Describe it."

Zane searched for the words. "I feel as if—as if I have unlocked my Element, achieved my True Potential, and obtained my Elemental Blade, all over again—all at once."

Kai stared at him.

"You unlocked Shauto," he said blandly.

Zane smiled, breathless. "Yes, I—I suppose that I have!" he exclaimed.

"That's awesome. How did you unlock it?"

"That happens to be my question as well, and finding the answer will require some analyzation," Zane said, already fairly detached from the conversation. "Let me think."

Immediately, he thought of earning his True Potential. About overcoming the obstacles in one's heart.

Zane's fear of being unable to learn Shauto had been eradicated and given hope within moments of experiencing this powerful emotion. If unlocking Shauto was _anything_ like achieving his Element's True Potential—and they were indisputably correlated—then that very well could have been the only thing standing in his way.

But there was another event to take into account, too, and that was _how_ the feeling had been induced: his funny switch.

Was this Nikolai's doing, then? He had tampered with Zane's mechanics, yes, but what could he possibly have done that allowed Zane to unlock Shauto? _Especially_ when Zane had no...

Zane looked down.

His power source pulsed ferociously, its blue light shuddering at accelerated intervals, growing brighter by the moment.

His... power source?

"_It's not that simple."_

Zane's excitement grew by the moment, but he kept the emotion in check, trying to figure a logical explanation. His mechanical brain whirred as it worked faster than ever before.

This source, powering him.

If he had unlocked Shauto, earned True Potential, gained possession of an Element, learned Spinjitzu—then this radiant azure crystal could be nothing but his soul.

"I have determined an answer," Zane announced.

Kai snorted awake, having drifted off in the thirty seconds that Zane had been considering these things.

"You said something?" he asked wearily.

Zane looked at him, unable to keep from smiling. "I only announced that I have determined an answer to our collective inquiry."

Kai stared at him. "Which inquiry?"

"... Oh, nevermind." Zane shook his head and stood up. "I see that you are quite tired, Kai, and would advise you to rest."

"Woah, wait, where are you going?" Kai said, watching Zane leave his own bed and start towards the door.

Zane halted. Then he turned around. Then he turned back to the door.

"I have many questions, so numerous as to be very disorganized in my mind," he said helplessly. "Only my father can answer them. And yet, I cannot interpret my ideas as directly as they occur. Oh, my processor is overheating! I cannot decide whether to compose a list of them, or simply to ask them before they leave my head, as they inevitably will, when my systems are so stimulated by questions and emotion. It is quite a powerful emotion," he added in explanation.

"You should sleep on it," Kai said.

"I should?" Zane asked, surprised.

"Yeah, you should," Kai said smoothly. "Just think about it. Sometimes you can figure stuff out before you even ask the question."

"Well... well, yes, of course..." Zane's fingers yearned to twist the doorknob, his legs, to dash out into the Hallway. "However, my father holds most of the information which I seek, if not all of it, and—"

"And _he's_ going to bed." Kai stretched out his hand, one eyebrow quirked. "C'mon, Zane. We all need to sleep."

Zane looked at the door. Then to Kai's candid expression and outstretched arm.

"You have a point, Kai," he admitted. "I... I can ask him in the morning. He will undoubtedly have answers for me then. I must only exercise patience."

"And think about it for yourself, tonight," Kai replied, retracting his hand.

Zane approached his bed again. "My processor will function properly tomorrow."

"My thoughts exactly." Kai burrowed himself under his own blanket again. Within moments, his breathing grew soft, and he was asleep.

It was not so easy for Zane. He got in bed, switched to sleep mode, and lay awake for a long time.

Shauto burned fondly in his chest, its warmth washing over him like the soothing, crackling heat of a campfire.

Zane composed a list of questions to ask in the morning, half wishing that he had ignored Kai's advice and run after his father.


	40. Float, Boat, Float

**Hey, chapter forty! This is getting exciting. **

* * *

Float, Boat, Float

* * *

Down, Room 9

8:59 AM

* * *

Jay awoke feeling strange.

He stared at the ceiling for a long, blank moment. Goosebumps prickled up and down his arms and legs—he was bursting at the seams with some hot, intense fire.

It felt like...

_Spinjitzu?_

_Did I have a really good dream or something? _He wracked his brain silently, trying to remember what the dream had been about.

He turned over in bed. The clock read nine.

He'd slept in.

Jay threw off the covers and combed his hair with his fingers, hurrying to the Cafeteria, muttering to himself all the way. His insides still felt incredibly full and warm, like he was wrapped in some invisible plush blanket.

In the Cafeteria, Cole, Lloyd and Zane were talking at one end of the table. Kai sat a few feet from them, playing his phone. Jay joined them after fetching himself a bowl of cool oatmeal from the stovetop and a glass of orange juice.

"Heya, Jay," Lloyd said. The cheerfulness in his tone was a little too weak to be convincing.

" 'Morning," Jay said. "Where's Azamat? He didn't wake me up."

"The twins left early," Cole said. "Off for their birthday festivities."

"Ah."

The conversation dropped off there.

Jay sucked in a breath and slid into the seat next to Cole. As he settled for breakfast, the weight of yesterday's depression settled stubbornly upon the warm sensation from his dream. He slumped as he ate.

"I unlocked Shauto," Zane said suddenly.

Jay choked on his oatmeal. He turned from the table, coughing, then managed to gulp it down. When he looked back, his eyes watery, the others were regarding him with faint amusement.

"You did?" Jay finally croaked.

"Last night," Zane said, glowing with his success. "My father explained it to me. Apparently, all my memories of Shauto had been sealed separately from my memories of my father."

"Wait, really? So you've known Shauto all your life?"

"No. I never unlocked it before now. I didn't always have this power source, which allows me my powers."

Jay's eyebrows raise. "So where did your power source come from?"

"He didn't say," Zane admitted, after a pause.

There was a brief silence.

"That's great news, though," Jay said, daring to take another bite of oatmeal.

Cole nodded. "We're making progress, yeah. Now three of us know Shauto." He hesitated, then asked, "How far along are you, Jay? Do you feel close to unlocking it?"

"Close, sure," Jay said, trying to keep his bitterness out of his voice. "I mean—"

Then the fire in his stomach spiked, and he almost choked on breakfast again.

He swallowed hastily, pressing his sleeve to his mouth. His teammates stared at him.

"I unlocked it," Jay said feebly.

Cole's eyebrows raised. "You did?"

"Y-yeah. Just barely." Shauto trickled through his core, gathering and itching in his fingertips, making him sit upright. _Shauto—? _

"Like, right now?" Lloyd said, eyes huge.

"Well, when I woke up—so, five minutes ago, I guess?"

_Shauto_.

He felt lighter just naming the sensation—realizing what power vibrated in his core made his hands shake.

"That's great news, brother!" Zane said. "We are both Shautei!"

Cole thunked his elbows onto the table, leaning forward to look at Jay better. "Hold on, let me get this straight. You unlocked Shauto_ in your sleep_."

Jay cracked a weak grin. "You know it."

"Unbelievable," the Master of Earth said, while Lloyd managed a soft laugh. His palms faced the ceiling, which he regarded incredulously. "You're unbelievable, Jay."

"I think I had a really weird dream," Jay said. "I'm trying to remember... ugh, I couldn't even remember when I woke up. It was something to do with..."

He trailed off. "Ah. It was about Nya."

Once again, familiar depression perched upon his shoulders. Jay watched their tentative humor dissolve, their arms fall to their sides, their eyes avoid his, and his own heart sank. Crushed.

But there was some tangible hope, now. It lay just beneath Jay's heartache. That invisible, plush blanket kept the worst of the sick fear from weighing him down.

_Shauto_.

Because now, Jay could do something.

Now he was more than just a ninja—he was Shautei.

And Shautei could beat Hidein.

Jay's hands cinched into fists on his lap.

He could do this.

He could save Nya.

"I'm going to start training," Lloyd said quietly.

"Me too," said Cole, and Zane nodded, too.

"For sure."

"I'll come," Jay said. "Let me finish my oatmeal."

That made four of them. They all glanced at Kai.

The Red Ninja sensed their stares and looked up. He looked briefly over each of them, then turned back to his phone.

"Go on," he said crisply. "I'll catch up."

* * *

The Dyrian Cell

* * *

"Um... Eboni."

Nya fidgeted with the hem of her own shirt.

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a few things?"

She heard the back of Eboni's head thud against the wall, resigned. "Why not."

A grateful smile spread across Nya's face. Not that Eboni could see it. Neither of them could see their hands in front of their faces. The air in the cell was hot and still, so their voices sounded close together, reverberating in the stone prison.

"How old are you?" Nya asked.

Silence.

"I'm nineteen," Eboni said finally.

"Cool. I'm nineteen, too."

"... Cool."

Nya found a welt on her wrist. She scratched it absently. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I'm an only child."

"Cool. I have a brother. My parents are gone, but Kai takes care of me." Nya winced. "He did."

Eboni shifted against the wall.

"Do you... have a mom?" Nya asked, a little softer. "I mean, uhm..."

"My father raised me by himself."

"... Is she...?"

"Why are you asking me all this?"

Nya bit her lip, twisting a strand of hair. "Um, well, if we're gonna be in here together, we should get to know each other. At least a bit."

"That sounds like a bad idea."

Nya cringed. "I don't see the harm in it."

"Oh, really?"

Another pause.

"... Also, I really hate when it's quiet," Nya confessed.

"That's what I thought," Eboni muttered.

"Do you have friends?" Nya asked.

"My teammates."

"Teammates?"

"I'm one of father's elite apprentices," Eboni explained in a dull voice; clearly, she wasn't into this whole "conversation" thing. "I consider the others my teammates."

"Can you tell me about them?"

"Mm. Maybe."

Obviously, that was treading a bit far. Eboni still seemed stingy with information. Nya wished she would open up. If only for her own comfort—otherwise, the Samurai would have to resort to talking to herself, or singing.

Nya was sure Eboni would rather have a conversation than listen to her sing.

"Do you have any pets?" Nya inquired suddenly.

"Wh—pets?" Eboni repeated.

"... Yeah. Pets." Nya wasn't sure why she had asked it.

"There's not really any pets in the Compound, at least, not _regular_ pets. My teammate has a goldfish though."

"A—a _goldfish_." Now it was Nya's turn to echo. For some reason, she hadn't thought a Hidein would have a pet like that.

"Yeah. He keeps it in my father's room. Dad loves it." This last bit was flatter than flat.

Nya chuckled. "I bet."

"What about you?"

"Nah, we don't really keep pets on the Destiny's Bounty, either—not _regular_ pets. We had the Ultra Dragon." Nya chewed a smile. "But when my parents were still alive, we had a pet iguana named Firecracker."

"Mm?"

"Mm-hmm. He had really intense red eyes. He sat on dad's shoulder when we were in the shop, freaking customers out."

This earned a small chortle from Eboni. "Can'tve been good for business."

"Not at all. Mom took forever trying to convince dad to put him away during shop hours. ... Sorry, dad was a blacksmith. I didn't tell you that."

"I already knew."

A pause.

Nya half-grimaced, half-grinned._ Of course._

Eboni knew she was a Samurai. She had to know everything about her. She must have known Kai was her brother, too, and that her parents had died in a fire, and that she was nineteen.

That conversation seemed a lot less meaningful now.

"Sorry... since we don't know when we'll get out of here, I thought it might be alright to just talk..." Nya wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them to her chest. "I just get scared when it's quiet. And dark."

"So you don't want Whisperers, but you don't want quiet?"

"I guess I can't be picky—but—would you talk to me?" Nya tried not to think of Jay. _He_ would talk to her until she wanted the quiet back. "Please?"

Eboni gave a long, drawn-out sigh.

"I might fall asleep," she admitted.

"That's fine. I mean, even if we're not talking, I'll just—talk _at_ you. Does that work? Please?"

"Whatever floats your boat, Samurai. As long as I'm allowed to fall asleep."

"Of course." As she said it, however, Nya wasn't sure she would be comfortable if Eboni fell asleep, leaving her alone—leaving her with the darkness.

And the Whisperers.

"What do you like to do?" Nya asked.

A short groan. "I thought you said you'd talk _at_ me."

"Sorry."

Eboni grumbled. "I code."

"Ooh, cool. What language do you use?"

"Eskuel, mostly."

"That's awesome!" Nya remembered Eboni's performance in the Destiny's Bounty, hacking into its database with the jump drive. "You're an inventor, too, I'd guess."

"I tinker."

There was a short pause.

"By the way." Eboni's tone trudged with reluctance. "Your Samurai X and Z are phenomenal."

"R-really? Thanks!"

"I'd change the vocal transmitter on Z, it's a bit old. And the three-sixty rotation on the arms actually limits its reach."

Nya nodded. "Well, I fixed the arms, at least. The Samurai Z was the earliest model, and the Samurai X functions more like a human body in that the arms are separate, fitting into sockets instead of rotating. It was necessary for the rocket launchers."

"Heh. Nice touch, that."

"Thanks."

"So what about Samurai Y?" Eboni finally seemed interested in her own words. "You have X and Z. There's gotta be a Y, right?"

Nya chuckled awkwardly. "Samurai Y... blew up."

"... Oh."

"Yeeeeah."


	41. Dobryak

**Gah. Have a bunch of fluff. Enjoy that fluff. It's fluffy. And flooferous. And wonderful. **

**And it's the only fluff you'll get for a looooong while. **

* * *

Dobryak

* * *

Down, PTR

9:11 AM

* * *

"Shhh," Lloyd whispered when he, Jay, Zane, and Cole entered the PTR. The others all fell respectfully silent.

December balanced on the tallest of ten posts, which were not unlike those at the Ninjas' old Monastery.

Her expression was totally blank, arms stretched out to either side. Her ankle trembled slightly from keeping her weight positioned perfectly upon the post, but apart from that, she was as still as a tree on a windless day. As if she were an extension of the pole itself.

Lloyd was impressed.

The Ninja all kept silent as they crept up to her. They knew that if they made any sound, if even the mat creaked beneath them, it would obliterate December's concentration.

One way or another, however, they'd have to snap her out of it. There was no way they would be able to train until she was... eh, conscious.

Better safe than sorry.

Lloyd glanced at Zane, who nodded. All four of them braced.

"December?" Zane breathed.

December's brow twitched, but she made no other move.

Zane leaned forward, touching the post gently. He appealed to her senses one at a time—first hearing, then touch, then sight. She would feel the vibration of his hands on the wood, which would be a lot less alarming than grabbing her foot.

"December," he said, his tone still soft. "December..."

Her eyes finally fluttered. She tilted her head down at them, her blue eyes pensive and far-off.

Then she registered the four Ninja suddenly standing around her, gave a shout, and fell backwards off the pole.

The Ninja were prepared for it. Lloyd darted around the pole and caught her before she hit the floor. Once she was in his arms, he dropped to one knee and let her roll out onto the mat.

All this was done in the split-second that her balance slipped.

December flopped onto her back, stunned, her once dreamy eyes now wide and alert.

"Hi," she said breathlessly.

Lloyd waved.

December then sat upright, checking her watch. "H-hey! I broke my record!" she exclaimed, showing them the screen. "By a whole minute!"

"Oh, no!" Zane exclaimed. "I was not aware you were training against a record! You would have gone on for quite some time if we hadn't disturbed you... My apologies."

"Oh, no, it's fine." Her voice was a little shaky when she stood. Her legs wobbled, too. "I'm already at twenty-eight minutes, forty-two seconds. If I went any farther, I would never have been able to break it again. Least, not anytime soon."

"We were going to train in here, too," Jay explained. "And we didn't want to train without you knowing we were here, else you'd probably have hurt yourself."

"Judging from my reaction here, I'd say I probably would've," December agreed. "Thanks for that."

"Need help?" Lloyd asked, extending a hand. December was teetering to one side, and didn't seem to notice.

"I'm good," December said. She tried to turn, then brought a hand to her head, shutting her eyes and cringing. "Oh—oh, no, I'm _not_ good..."

Lloyd caught her arm and pulled her upright, then pushed one shoulder until she was standing straight. "Headrush?" he inquired, stifling a smile.

"H-headrush," December confirmed. "Ohh, wow. That was the worst one yet. I'm okay now."

The Ninja were looking at Lloyd funny. He let go of December, even though she was still a little unsteady on her feet.

"It's crazy how long you stood there," said Cole, as all the Ninja finally relaxed. "You've got some crazy balancing skills."

"Indeed," Zane said. "The fact that you are able to stand like that for so long suggests extreme stamina."

"You would have stayed standing for a while more," Lloyd said. "You didn't even seem tired."

"Thanks," December said. "I sure _feel_ tired, though." She looked around the course for a moment, then departed from the group to fetch her water bottle next to the mud pit.

Jay nudged Lloyd. "C'mon, let's spar."

December followed the four of them to the Spinjitzu Boxes of Doom. "Oh, you're going to spar?" she asked Jay, sounding intrigued.

"Yep," Jay said. He turned to Lloyd. "Are we gonna split in pairs, then?"

"Seems like a good idea," Lloyd said. "Here, I'll spar with you, Jay."

While Zane and Cole resolved to spar with each other, Lloyd noticed December, looking anxious, standing on the sidelines.

"Um," she said uncomfortably, raising her hand a little. "Can I spar?"

Lloyd's eyebrows shot sky high before he could stop them. "Uh—?" He turned to Jay, who actually looked pleased.

"I can wait," December said.

"No, if you wanna spar," Jay said, gesturing for December to take his place. "I can wait for a round, too."

"Well so can I."

"Yeah, but I can, too." Jay's voice grew firm, and he shoved her lightly from behind. "Go on."

"Are you sure?" December asked.

"I'll spar with you," Lloyd assured her.

He backed up two or three paces, bracing his feet in a defensive position. He looked up, saw December mimicking his stance, and offered a weak smile.

Zane and Cole were apparently postponing their own sparring match to watch. Lloyd's three teammates exchanged conspiratorial looks before crossing their arms to observe, grinning hugely.

Lloyd decided to ignore them.

"You ready for this?" he asked December, bouncing slightly in place.

December gave a half-hearted chuckle. "I'm about to spar with the Ultimate Spinjitzu Master," she said. "I am _so_ not ready for this."

"Just call me Lloyd, then," Lloyd said. "I don't have to be the Green Ninja or the Spinjitzu Master or anything, if you're nervous."

"No way," December said, eyes flashing.

Lloyd received a sharp impression of her older brother. Chills soared up and down his spine.

"Okay," he said. "You take offensive, then. I'll go easy."

"Awright." December flicked her hair back from her face, taking a deep breath.

Then she lunged, her fist flying for his face.

Lloyd dodged. December's foot lashed out, and he skipped that like a jump rope. She aimed two more punches, then two more. Within the first couple moments of the match, Lloyd got a good idea of her pattern; her moves were calculated to miss.

For the first while, he was able to simply dodge her attacks. December's smile grew pinched with concentration; Lloyd at last had to lift an arm to block a blow.

She was _fast_. Her speed increased with her confidence, and Lloyd could only block for so long before he had to return her blow with his own.

It was a pivotal moment—how she reacted to his switching gears was key—and December pivoted perfectly, transitioning from offense to defense within Lloyd's first punch.

Slick.

As they fought, Lloyd was struck by how smooth her fighting was. Her attacks were all basic—he had not faced anything more than a punch or a kick or a knife-hand—but it was eerily sleek, how she moved from position to position like rushing water over stones.

Lloyd's leg snapped out, aiming for her stomach, and December dropped to the floor. His foot swished over her white hair.

Lloyd tried to bounce back, surprised that she had avoided him, but December grabbed both his ankles as he moved, tripping him.

He didn't yelp, though he was tempted. He extended his arms, felt his palms hit the floor, and propelled himself to his feet once more, completing a back handspring. By the time he reoriented, December was back on her feet, face flushed.

The other Ninja "_oohed_" appreciatively.

"Nice," Lloyd said. December's eyes were still alight with an azure fire. "I'll go offensive," he added dryly.

"By all means," December said breathlessly.

Lloyd started up again, throwing punch after punch her way. He refrained from flipping over her and aiming a kick to her back, though he was tempted to, just to see how she would deal with it. She seemed to only know some basic moves, and though she was terrifyingly fast, Lloyd wasn't sure that he might not accidentally outmaneuver her.

He sped up. So did December. Impressed, he went even faster, until he was sure she would falter. This was the kind of speed he used when he was fighting Kai, or Jay, who both outdid Lloyd handily when it came to accelerated motion.

December broke out in a sweat, and she was biting her lip so hard that Lloyd could see blood beading on it, but she was keeping up with him. Lloyd was amazed. He had never seen someone who wasn't a ninja move this fast.

... Okay, Nya didn't count. She was a Samurai, and she sparred with Kai a lot, so of course _she_ could keep up.

A sudden bitter jolt hit him like a dart in the neck, thinking of Nya.

Lloyd barely hesitated, however, before deciding to go through with his impulse.

He thrust his hands between hers, prying her arms away, so she couldn't defend herself. December's eyes widened, but Lloyd continued the motion by gripping her by the shoulders and flipping up and over top of her.

He half expected her legs to give out, and that they would both crumple to the floor with Lloyd on top of her, but she was sturdy. And _tall_. The top of December's head made a whooshing sound as Lloyd's own passed what could only have been a few centimeters above it.

Lloyd pushed off her shoulders, and now he was in the air, where he used his weight to spin and change direction.

He landed on his feet, facing December's back, and gave a mighty shout.

A burst of green light from Lloyd's hands.

December fell. She managed to roll back to her feet, blinking furiously, struggling to register what had just happened.

"Oh Overlord," Lloyd said, the color draining from his face. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!" He snuffed his kamehameha.

December shook her head. She was too out of breath to even speak. Guiltily, he remembered that she was already exhausted from meditating on the post. He had pushed her near the breaking point.

"I am so sorry," he said again. "I went _way_ too far—are you okay?"

December nodded. "Can we—" she started, her voice hoarse, "—keep—fighting?"

Her face glowed like burnished bronze, and her eyes, though narrow with concentration, were intent.

Lloyd's stomach fluttered.

"We'd better not," he said, glancing away. "It's not that I don't want to keep up, but you're not in any shape to."

December exhaled, but when Lloyd bowed, she did, too. Jay approached, offering her water bottle, and she relaxed with thanks.

"You did very well," Zane said, beaming at both his teammate and his cousin. "You are _incredibly_ fast, December. There is balance in both your temperament and your technique."

"Thanks," December managed.

"Dude," Jay said, in awe. "Not to brag or anything, but I _excel_ in accelerated combat. And I have to say, you are one of the most graceful fighters I've seen at that speed."

December choked. Lloyd realized after a second that it was actually a laugh, but she was still too exerted to make it sound like one. "Thanks, Jay."

"How's this," Cole said, clapping Lloyd on the back. "You and December rest for a bit. Zane and Jay can spar, and I'll go see if Kai's really coming."

"Okay."

Lloyd's heart was still pounding when he sat down next to December on the floor, beside the Boxes of Doom. The second December plopped down, she fell backwards, her chest heaving.

Gradually, her breathing slowed. Zane and Jay were exchanging buffets with their Spinjitzu tornados, as well as dodging blows and kicks at a pace that made Lloyd's pounding head spin. After a match was when he felt the weariest, when the rush of the battle finally caught up to him, so he could hardly watch his teammates have at it without feeling sick.

He glanced at her. She faced the ceiling, finally breathing evenly, looking as perfectly happy as one could look without smiling.

Lloyd gazed at her.

"Your lip is bleeding," he said.

December's serene expression dissolved in a frown. She wiped at her mouth, viewing the blood on her finger with disdain. "Great."

She sighed and let her hand drop to her stomach. Then she turned to him, her eyes big and bright.

"Hey," she said. "Thanks for letting me spar with you."

Lloyd blinked. "Sure. You're good."

"Thanks, but I should be telling _you_ that," December said. "Guess it's only to be expected from the Green Ninja, but still. You hit hard."

Lloyd laughed. "Sorry."

"You're so different from what I imagined," December said, shaking her head.

She wouldn't have continued, but Lloyd was caught off guard by the statement. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, I knew there was a chance we would be meeting you, cause of all the Whisperer stuff," December explained. "And to think of meeting the_ Green Ninja_—he just seemed like some guy straight out of Starfarer, you know? The hero of some TV show. Or something."

She laughed. "But you're a _person_. It's interesting to actually get to know you. ... That's coming from a stranger."

"Sure," Lloyd said.

She had a point, though. It was easy for even him to forget that he held a position like that in NinjaGo. He still felt like a ten-year-old kid in a lot of ways.

He almost squeaked. He caught himself, though, and his face only barely flushed.

Did December know about the whole Tomorrow's Tea adventure?

Haha... he'd get to that eventually.

"Hey, December," Lloyd said. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Um."

Lloyd realized that this question was a lot harder to phrase out loud than it was in his head. "Can I ask about your parents?"

December stared at him for a moment.

"Okay," she said, finally grinning. "And you'll tell me about yours, right?"

" 'Course," Lloyd said. Honestly, he was just grateful that she hadn't freaked out or anything. "So... your dad was Dr. Julien's brother, yeah?"

"Papa is his adopted brother, yep."

Lloyd paused. "Pa-pa?" he repeated. It sounded like Pa, which Jay used for his father, but Lloyd had never heard _Papa_.

December giggled. "That's Amid for 'Daddy'."

Pfft. No wonder he'd never heard it. "Oh. And what's mother?"

"Mm..." Decmber looked thoughtful. "_Mamochka_. I think. I didn't grow up with a mother, so I don't know for sure on that one."

"Oh." Lloyd's voice softened. "Me neither. I mean, I have one, but she didn't raise me."

December looked at him, surprised, but added, "And neither did the twins."

"And Cole. And Kai and Nya." Lloyd smiled ruefully. "Man, and neither did Zane."

"Jay's the lucky one, huh?"

"Apparently." Lloyd glanced over at where Jay and Zane sparred, then back to December. "So... your parents, are they both...?"

"My mother is alive. I've never met her, though. She divorced Papa when I was born, and I don't remember her ever coming to visit." Her eyes shadowed. "But Papa's gone."

"I'm sorry," Lloyd murmured.

"He passed away researching Whisperers," December said. Her mouth twisted into a grimace-smile. "Well, in the _hospital_, after a Whisperer attacked him."

"A Whisperer?"

"We think so. The Five were just beginning to develop Shauto as a fighting style, so he went out with Uncle Nik to try hunting one. They got separated, and Nik found him unconscious on the shore of Adolfjin lake, covered in ashes."

December closed her eyes. "I remember it, a little, but it seems like I didn't get to visit him very often when he was in the hospital. The doctors didn't know what was wrong.

"I think a Whisperer tortured him. His mind... _shattered_, in the last few days of his life. He didn't recognize me, or Gahiji, and he had no memories of being a Papa or husband or anything." December glanced away. "It was probably the most severe case of Whisperer's Spell ever. He... he didn't die peacefully."

Lloyd squeezed his eyes shut. "December..."

"It's okay," December said quickly. "We're fine now. Just thought you should maybe know about it." She paused. "It doesn't creep you out too much, does it?"

"No, no. It's just awful. I'm so sorry."

"I told you, it's okay."

She looked about to say something more, when they heard a call from the entrance to the PTR.

"Hey, you guys," London said. She waved one arm high above her head. "Are you all ready to go on a patrol?"

Jay and Zane both came to a halt, and Lloyd sat up. "Now?" he croaked.

"Yep, now. It's nearly ten and we haven't gone out once yet." London turned around. "Come on, I'm not waiting for you."

Lloyd scrambled to his feet, apologizing to December. "Are you coming?"

"No, I got stuff to do in Down," she said, making a noncommittal shooing motion. She smiled tiredly—but somehow, her exhaustion didn't seem to have anything to do with the sparring match. "You better run."


	42. Blood Master

Blood Master

* * *

Down, Hallway

9:38 AM

* * *

"Hi, Gahiji."

Gahiji halted. Turning around, he saw Kai standing behind him in the hallway, a strange look on his face.

"Galdaichin," he returned, silently deciphering Kai's expression. "What is it?"

Kai's arched brow was high, his gaze round and wide, but still cool. His lips pressed in a thin line, about to either glower or grin.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going to the Control Room," Gahiji said evenly.

"I'm going to follow you," Kai said.

"By all means."

Gahiji continued down the hall, the Red Ninja trailing behind.

Kai's behavior didn't trouble him. The verge of recovery was often the oddest, when the mind didn't know whether to embrace sanity or revert to the Whisperer's Spell.

But Kai was serious as he said, "Hey, tell me about your tattoos."

Gahiji's eyes narrowed.

They reached the Control Room. London met him in the doorway, tailed by Cole, Zane, Jay, and Lloyd.

"Oh, there you are," London said, smiling at Gahiji. "Hey, do you mind taking the wings? I'm going to take these guys out on a patrol."

Gahiji nodded.

"Awesome," London said. "Thanks."

He nodded again.

London turned around, instructing the Ninja all to clutch each other's arms, then for Lloyd, holding two Birds, to take her own arm. "You ready for this?" she asked them.

Gahiji leaned in the doorway, waiting listlessly for them to teleport.

Kai stood behind him, still wearing that half-smirk, half-frown.

There was a flurry of teleportation sparks, Zane and Jay gave cries of delighted terror, and they were gone.

Gahiji stepped through the remaining ashes of Shauto, seating himself in the swivel chair at the dashboard and pulling himself to the screen. He waited ten seconds, then flicked both Birds on, adjusting the monitors.

Kai leaned up against the far wall. Gahiji had of course believed him when he said he was going to follow him—however, he was now unsettled by Kai's intentions.

"Well? Explain yourself." Kai said.

Gahiji's mouth twitched downwards. He opened the connection on his wrist communicator, so London could talk freely and Gahiji could hear the patrol. His back was to Kai all the while.

"You have Shauto tattoos, don't you?" Kai pressed.

"You should be training," Gahiji said coldly, tapping his index finger on the dashboard.

"But only half your body is in green. The other part is in black. Hidoi, huh?"

"I'm not going to talk about this."

"Are you who I _think_ you are?"

"Go find Dr. Julien."

"He's your uncle, Gahiji. Why do you call him 'Doctor'?"

Kai didn't miss a beat in the conversation, as if they were talking about the weather.

Gahiji, losing his patience, opened his mouth to reply.

Then someone knocked softly.

Gahiji and Kai both whirled.

Ed stood in the doorway, tapping the wall with two fingers to announce his arrival.

The expression on his face was even trickier to dissect than Kai's. His eyes flickered between Gahiji and the Master of Fire.

"Hey, Kai. Ready to start your training?" he said at last.

Kai raised his hand in greeting. "Hi, Mr. Walker. I was thinking. Can you pilot the _Kahgei_?"

Ed opened his mouth, nonplussed. "Well—well, yes, I can."

"Could you teach me how?"

"How to pilot the jet?" Ed stared at him. "Why, sure, kiddo, but-ahh—you don't wanna start Shauto up again?"

"I don't feel too hot, sir," Kai confessed. "I don't know if I can do Spinjitzu yet. Maybe it'd be useful to learn to pilot the jet, considering that I can't teleport to get around."

"Or you could learn to teleport," Gahiji said.

Kai glanced at him sharply. His lip curled, but he at last rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I'm not fully rid of the Whisperer's Spell yet, I can feel it," he said to Mr. Walker. "It's still influencing me."

_Shauto would cure it faster, _Gahiji almost argued.

But Kai obviously didn't _want_ to learn Shauto. While that annoyed and appalled Gahiji, he didn't feel like engaging the Red Ninja any further in conversation.

"I understand, kiddo," Ed said, sensing Gahiji's irritation. He clapped his hand gingerly to Kai's shoulder, managing a smile. "Head to the Garage, then. I'll be there in a half a moment."

Gahiji turned back to the dashboard, maneuvering the Birds to follow the patrolling group. He pointedly ignored the glare that Kai aimed at the back of his head as he left.

"Hey," Ed said, still leaning in the doorway.

"This is not a good time," Gahiji snapped.

Ed paused.

"... Kai was asking about your... uh... tattoos?"

Gahiji jabbed a button, and the Birds ascended, to get a wide view of the entire situation in the Badlands. He didn't reply.

"Can I ask about your hair?"

Another pause.

"What about it."

Ed fiddled with a strap on his overalls. "Well, ahh. I recall that the tradition in Amid culture was that men grow their hair out. For several reasons. Not the least of which being as a sign of freedom—ahem, independence."

"Correct."

"You're twenty-five in February, right? ... Assuming you were keeping that tradition, your hair should be a lot longer than it is."

Gahiji's hair, a curtain of snow just brushing his shoulder blades.

"May I ask why you—eh—chose to ignore that tradition? Or if you were...?"

Gahiji spun the swivel chair to face Ed. "It _was_ my choice, if that's what you're asking," he said icily.

Ed looked pale. "And so—your tattoos, I thought they looked familiar—?"

"Yes, they are Hidoi."

A long silence.

"Kai is waiting for you." Gahiji said, spinning back around and steering the Birds closer to the group in the Badlands.

When Ed answered, his voice was hoarse and high-pitched. Trembling.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I'll—I'll go."

And he left.

Gahiji closed his eyes and breathed out through his nose.

He didn't know whether to feel irritated or apologetic for breaking it to Ed so abruptly. Gahiji didn't believe in sugarcoating, but it was a real thing to dump on someone.

He decided to feel irritated. With himself, at least.

"Report," he said into his communicator.

"Hey."

It was Jay. He cleared his throat quickly. "I mean, hi. We're good. I think."

Gahiji ignored his awkward address. "Do you have a count?" he said, glancing at the monitors.

"A count—? Oh, a count on Whisperers. Yeah. There's four of them. One to each of us."

"Pulling up your Shields. Brace yourself."

Gahiji positioned his tattooed hand on the Shield Stone embedded in the dashboard. This was a white stone, emblazoned with the Shield symbol, which rotated under Shauto's influence. London had explained it as being representative of Spinjitzu—as the soul's aura was the same as the Spinjitzu tornado.

"_Zashchitit' svoikh blizkikh,_" he murmured. His tattoos vibrated, erupting with bright green light, and from the wrist communicator, he heard Jay shout.

Shielding had always worked for Gahiji. It had come naturally to him from the very start.

London said it must have something to do with the way his soul was structured. Amilia agreed, theorizing that his soul's Elements related to those Shauto used to _create_ the Shields.

December said it was because Gahiji was meant to protect others.

They all had their opinions.

As for his own...?

Pfft.

If he had to have one, he would say Shauto was scolding him.

Shield came easy to Gahiji? Protecting others came _naturally_?

Funny - all he had ever done was hurt people.

Kill.

He repeated the Shield process three times over for Cole, Zane, and London, hearing cheers and yelps every time.

Speaking of strange things, Kai was acting odder than usual. For a victim of the Whisperer's Spell, at least.

Now that Gahiji reflected on it, however, it made a grim kind of sense.

The look on Kai's face had been one of masked accusation.

_Kai knows who I am,_ Gahiji realized.

He shouldn't be so surprised. The Ninja were smart. Add to that, they were exposed to him, to the Hidein, to the Fives' past.

To _Gahiji's_ past.

Gahiji was sure that Cole knew. Lloyd, too. Jay was catching on, and Zane... Zane... to be frank, Gahiji couldn't read Zane at all. He had no idea what went on in that droid's head.

But they were all wary of him. Gahiji could see that.

He didn't mind. In fact, he approved.

He didn't entirely trust himself, either.

Dr. Julien didn't know. Ed and Edna didn't know. Even Amilia and Azamat hadn't put it together.

Or if they had, they didn't want to believe it.

That Gahiji was Krovimastaa.

Yes, he had killed _scores_ of men. Yes, he had looked each in the eye as he Burned them, intimately, and took _pleasure_ in the moment.

Yes, he had been Hokori Wyche's student.

Yes, he had been at the root of Adolfjin's destruction.

He had watched the city rot in flames.

He had not meant for it to happen.

But there was no changing it.

Any of it.

Gahiji hated to remember these things. He despised the memory of Hidoi in his arms, how it felt, how it tasted - because he resolved never to embrace Hidoi again.

Even if it... even if...

He ran his hands through his ivory hair, pulling it back, scowling.

His hair. Too short, by Amidian standards.

Slave-short.

_..._

Gahiji hated himself.

He really did.

* * *

Down, Hallway

9:45 AM

* * *

"Hi," Edna said, when Ed emerged from the Control Room a minute later. "Hey, Kai's going to the Garage. Did you send him there?"

Ed did not answer. He simply gazed at her.

Edna stared, too.

"Ed?" she said, after a pause. "What is it?"

The look on Ed's face was one of complete, sheet-white horror.

"Edward, dear?" Edna said, grasping his hand and shaking him lightly. "You look as though you've seen a ghost—?"

"It was Hidoi."

Edna froze.

They stood, in the middle of the corridor, where they could hear echoed laughter from the MTR. Dr. Julien and December were teaching the adults Shauto, and Garmadon had said something that had the entire room guffawing.

"What?" Edna said, her voice now low and edged.

Ed looked at her. She felt her throat catch at his despair.

"Gahiji's tattoos. They _are_ Hidoi, Edna. He was Hidein."

Her blood ran chill.

"The stupid kid," Ed muttered. He rubbed one eye fiercely with the heel of his hand, gritting his teeth. "Foolish, rash, _stupid_ kid, I could _hit_ him!"

"Ed, dear. Come now. Don't say that." Edna took him by both elbows, trying to pry his hand from his eye. Her own heart was racing. "Think about it... think why he might do it."

"Why? _Why?_ He _killed_ people, Edna!" Ed's eyes were wild. "He's marked himself with Hidoi! With _death_! You know what that makes him? A _murderer_, that's what! Can you even—can you _imagine_ the things he's done?"

"Ed," she tried.

"Don't you dare, Edna," he snarled. Edna recoiled. "Don't you dare tell me it's okay. Don't you _dare_ tell me it's somehow alright, don't you _dare_ defend him. Not when he's _killed_ people! Not when he submerged himself so completely—"

"Please, Ed," she said, her throat clenching, her stomach knotting in a suppressed shudder.

"—so _completely_ absorbed in Hidoi that he could murder children, torture them, destroy an entire city. It's _sick_. It's _twisted_. Gahiji was _Hidein_, Edna, and _ain't no Hidein ever gone_—!"

"Edward Walker," Edna snapped.

This jerked Ed from his rant and back into the hallway. Back in his wife's arms.

He stopped rubbing his eye, but his hand stayed pressed into its socket.

Edna almost didn't trust herself to breathe.

"You know how lost he was when Dobryak died, Ed," she murmured.

Ed nodded numbly.

Edna swallowed. "He must have—he must have lost himself and then... _stayed_ lost."

Ed groaned.

Then he whimpered.

He wrapped his arms around Edna, crying softly into her shoulder, pressing his temple to her hair.

"Oh, Edna," Ed wept, hiccuping. "I didn't think it would be him... not Gahiji, that sweet boy, not him... n-not _him_..."

"Ed, sweetheart, don't cry."

"I knew it hurt, when his father died... it hurt us all. But I thought he'd be there for December... I thought he'd at least try... I thought he'd _let go_..."

Edna's heart began to bleed. "He loved Dobryak more than anything."

"He loved Dobryak too much." Ed sobbed. "Too much..._ t-too much..._"

Edna clutched Ed closer and tighter, regretting every minute she didn't spend with that grieving, fifteen-year-old, Amid boy, and buried her face in Ed's shirt.


	43. Whispers in the Dark

**[[ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!]]**

**This chapter is titled after the song "Whispers In The Dark", by Skillet. Fabulous song, fabulous band. I recommend it! ... Can't imagine why I'd apply it to Whisper... **

* * *

Whispers in the Dark

* * *

The Dyrian Cell

* * *

The next meal Nya had consisted of shiratamako dango—which were hardly different from imo-mochi in that they were small, cold, starchy cakes. They weren't nearly as good as some of the dango that Nya had eaten in days past, but she couldn't object when a rather annoying pit of hunger had formed in her stomach.

The hooded Hidein, come to bring them their food, replaced the old lamp with a new one and set glasses of water next to each prisoner.

Nya kept her knees tucked under her shirt, eying the newcomer warily as she ate, but the Hidein didn't seem to take any pleasure at all in her existence, let alone her bare legs.

Weird.

Nya had expected _some_ form of contempt from her captors. Every time she'd ever been kidnapped, she would hardly receive anything but taunts and disdain.

But the man hardly regarded her. He knelt to Eboni's level, removed his hood, and held a roll of bandages out to her.

Eboni's eyes widened.

"_Pyoter_?" she choked, dropping her dango.

He was Amid, with walnut-toned skin, his hair and eyelashes as white as his eyes. Three triangle piercings adorned the outside of his ears, and when Eboni said his name, he smiled. His strange snowy eyes softened with relief as Eboni grinned back.

Nya shifted. "Who's this?" she asked.

"This is Pyoter, my teammate," Eboni explained. "Pyoter, Nya."

Pyoter glanced at the Samurai, from her face to her knees, hidden beneath her scratchy cotton shirt, and nodded once.

"Your teammate?" Nya repeated. "What's he doing here?"

"I was about to ask you that," Eboni said to Pyoter. "Why are you down here? Sensei didn't _let_ you come down, did he?"

The Amid Hidein opened his mouth, took a breath, and closed it again. He waved the roll of bandages meaningfully at her, and Eboni took them, her eyes narrowing.

Pyoter turned to Nya, whose heart stopped involuntarily.

"Here."

His voice was thickly accented and hard to understand. It took Nya a moment to figure out what he'd said, and by the time she understood, he held something short and thin out to her.

It was a match.

"How'd you sneak down here, then?" Eboni demanded.

Pyoter smiled faintly. "I was feeding Tucker."

Eboni laughed. Nya stared at her, taken aback by the unexpectedly warm sound. "Seriously? You're great, Pyoter."

Pyoter chuckled, too.

He opened his mouth to say something; again, he closed it, and cast his eyes to the floor. Eboni's grin twisted into a grimace.

They exchanged bitter looks.

Pyoter slipped his hand into Eboni's and gave hers a ginger squeeze.

Then he stood, picked up the old lamp, donned his hood, and cast a weak smile down at the two of them.

The door shut softly behind him.

A beat of silence. The new lamp illuminated the cell with a blonde candle-glow.

"Tucker?" Nya asked.

Eboni laughed again, then tried to pass it off as a cough. "Y-yeah. The only entrance to the Dyrian corridor is in Daddy's room, where Pyoter's goldfish Tucker lives."

"Oh. Ha."

"Mm-hm."

"Your teammate, huh?"

"Yeah. There's four of us. Me, Pyoter, Liv, and Zakhar... You've met Zakhar, I think."

Nya shuddered. Eboni looked at the wall.

Nya had to remind herself that Eboni and Pyoter both were Hidein. That they had dark magic, Whisperers, and, obviously, some plot against the Ninja.

But watching Eboni and Pyoter laugh together. The way their eyes both lit up. Even the way they had scowled—it reminded Nya so much of her own brothers.

Of real friendship. The kind built upon saving each other's lives, back-to-back.

Just like the Ninja.

Eboni noticed the Samurai watching her. "What," she snapped.

Nya shook herself, then pointed to the roll of bandages in Eboni's hand. "Here, let's change those."

The woman grunted. But unlike the last two times Nya had bound her, she was compliant, turning so Nya could unravel her bandages.

Eboni wasn't half bad, and Nya found herself liking her.

Eboni's back was much better than Nya thought it would be. It wasn't turning colors, but scabbing nicely, as were her arms. Nya unfolded a length of the bandages and began wrapping the wounds.

"I don't understand why they would hurt you like this," she said at last. "Especially your father being who he is—I mean, beating _Wyche's_ _daughter_? How did they get away with that?"

Eboni's reply was cold. "My father has made it very clear that my relationship with him as a member of his army is strictly business. If I break the rules, the consequences apply to me, too."

Nya paused. "But what rules did you _break_? What earns you something like this?"

"I've lied," she said flatly. "I've let things die. I've let people _live_ when I wasn't supposed to." Her voice grew quiet. "I let Krovimastaa escape."

A beat.

Nya closed her eyes again, remembering to breathe.

It had not occurred to her that Eboni would have known Krovimastaa. It _should_ have occurred to her.

Because of course. If Krovimastaa had worked with Wyche, and Wyche knew Hidoi...

Then it was Hidoi, which had destroyed Adolfjin.

She finally spoke. "Surely, though, they wouldn't hurt you like this?"

"You don't know my Master, and you don't know Hidoi," Eboni snapped. Then her voice dropped, laced with venom. "Yeah. If you knew Hidoi, then maybe you'd _begin_ to understand. My father isn't going to let me go undisciplined."

A silence.

Nya tied Eboni's bandage.

"Your father wouldn't want you hurt, surely," she murmured.

Eboni gritted her teeth. Then she cursed.

"Dear Overlord," she said. "I don't know anymore."

"Eboni," Nya said softly, sitting down next to her, but couldn't find the words to continue.

Eboni gazed at her cellmate, hazel eyes round and earnest. "I mean, you have to draw the line _somewhere_ when your father is a crime lord. Sometimes I think he's hiding something."

As soon as she said it, she shook her head violently. "I'm sure he's not. I _know_ he's not."

She looked down. "He doesn't neglect me, but—but—he's so devoted to Master. Master is his _life_."

Nya heard the silent plea in her voice.

_Why can't _I_ be in his life?_

Not spoken aloud for fear of sounding selfish. Not said, for fear of sounding weak, or needy, or hypocritical, but the words were there, and they hung heavy in Eboni's tone.

_Unfair_.

Nya didn't want to touch Eboni's shoulder, and her arms were wounded, too. So she reached down and tenderly patted the back of her cellmate's head.

Eboni stiffened.

"I'm sorry," said Nya, closing her eyes.

"It's been on my mind lately." Eboni's voice had grown hoarse. "... You're great to listen," she added reluctantly.

Nya smiled. " 'Course. You listened to me, too."

* * *

"_It wasn't your fault._"

Nya stirred in her sleep.

"_It was that girl... Eboni._"

"_... Father?_"

"_It is she who must be punished. She lost us our key... Our Samurai..._"

It sounded... robotic. Like when Nya spoke through the filter on her Samurai X helmet.

Nya finally realized that she was hearing voices, and woke up.

It was still light in the chamber, the oil lamp burning faithfully on, though its flame swayed with each uttered word.

"_But she still sees me as her father._"

"—_Father? Father? Dear boy, father—lost us our k-k-k-key..._"

Nya sat bolt upright.

Whisperers.

* * *

Eboni groaned when someone shook her awake. "Zakhar," she said groggily. "I'm trying to sleep."

"Wake up, Eboni!" It was a woman's voice, however.

Eboni tried to shove the hand off. "Liv, you punk," she mumbled, still out of it.

"FSM! Eboni, wake up!"

She turned over, inadvertently putting pressure on her wounds. She yelped, her eyes finally snapping open.

"Nya? Wha—?" She heard a low, hushed babble of words over Nya's panicked breath. "Who's here? Who's talking?"

"Whisperers," Nya said, her voice cracking. "_Whisperers_, Eboni. How do you do the _Bar'yer_? The Encryption? H-how do we keep them out? Show me!"

"Woah, woah, calm down," said Eboni, shifting. "My _Bar'yer_'s still up, there's no—"

"_She will betray me?_"

She broke off.

No... it couldn't be.

"_She has lost faith in whether or not you are truly her father._" The mechanized voice was solemn. Through the creepy, lulling ripples of the Whisperer's voices, Eboni began to recognize it. "_She has lost faith in the idea that you love her and she loves you._"

"_... What will you have me do?"_

"_D-d-do? Do? Hehe, do._" The Whisperers used a false, repeated laugh as their own.

"Daddy," Eboni breathed.

Frozen terror and fascination twisted Eboni's mouth, flung her eyes open as far as they would go, and the lamp cast a stark spiderweb of shadow over her brow.

"What?" Nya said. "Come on, Eboni, not now—"

"That's my Daddy's voice," Eboni said again, her breath catching.

"_Kill her._"

_Povelitel. _

Eboni's eyes narrowed as she tried to decipher the words exchanged. They spoke of a "she". Who? The Samurai?

_A girl... who has lost faith in the idea that... _

_Th-the idea that... _

Nya grabbed her arm. "Eboni," she said, glancing at the violently flickering oil lamp. "Please, send them away."

But Eboni couldn't.

She was so terrified.

"_I understand_," Hokori's voice came."_But I have to wonder—why have you let it slide? My punishment?_"

Eboni shook her head numbly. _It was never your punishment, Daddy. It was always mine. _

"_Because, my dear boy. It wasn't your fault._" She could almost see Povelitel's eyes flashing, now. "_I have need of you, alive and well._"

Povelitel had never called Hokori his_ dear boy_.

Was this some trick of the Whisperers'?

"Eboni, please," Nya whimpered, catching Eboni's hand tightly in her own and shaking it, but Eboni shoved her off.

"_Jealous_."

Now, Povelitel listed off attributes. "_Cunning. Patient. Reasonable._" On and on he went, and Eboni could not make heads nor tails of it. What was he describing? "_... Desiring freedom... and yet, so very afraid._"

"Eboni," Nya said, her voice now shaking with tears. "Please!"

"Wait," Eboni said, pushing her away. "Just _wait_."

Povelitel purred. "_You are what I have given you, son._"

Eboni felt her blood run cold.

"_Nothing more, nothing less._"

This must be a trick. This must be a lie. Eboni didn't want to believe it, nor did she want to believe they were speaking of _her_.

She couldn't take it anymore.

She she pointed to the lamp.

"Bring it here," she said. Her voice and finger shook, and her jaw hurt from clenching it.

Nya handed it to her.

"_I am grateful for it_," Hokori said, and the Whisperers murmured it in the cell with eerily gleeful mimicry. "_I have life in you, father._"

Eboni gave a half-shout, half-whimper, smashing the lamp against the floor. The cell went black.

Nya gasped. "What are you doing?"

Shattered glass cut Eboni's feet and hands. Hot oil trickled over the floor. Eboni leaned forward and stuck her index finger in it. She did not pull back, though it seared her finger as she drew the _Bar'yer_ symbol.

"Burn," she breathed. Hidoi filled the chamber with shifting violet light, which made Nya squint and retract.

"_Noble—n-not-noble-not-noble,_" the Whisperers tried. Their voices sped up, groaned with the effort. "_It is very not-noble-not-noble—S-S-Soren—!_"

"Burn!" Eboni cried.

The Whisperers departed in sound and form, leaving the cell a dreadfully familiar pitch-black.

Nya clutched Eboni's arm. They held onto each other; Eboni's hands were bloody and stinging, her lungs ached, throat tight with terror and disbelief.

"I thought you said the _Bar'yer_ would hold," Nya whispered.

"I told you, I couldn't hold them for long," Eboni replied, panting. "An Encryption against Whisperers has to be re-installed after a while."

"Why?"

"Because Whisperers are children of Hidoi, and can override Encryptions in large enough numbers." Eboni recited in a daze, words that her father's lessons had instilled in her. "Whisperers belong to Povelitel. They cling to him, and work for him, and repeat him—he's their favorite person to repeat."

_As well as his son._

"Povelitel?" Nya asked, her voice flat with steady terror. "Is he... is he _Hidoi_?"

Eboni hesitated.

She felt the assuaging Hidoi smooth over her soul, quieting all her troubles, caressing her gently.

Everything would be alright. She was okay.

"No," she said finally. "No, he's not."

Povelitel could never soothe her like this.

Neither could her father.

_Daddy._

It was a mistake to think of him. Tears gathered under her eyes and trickled down her chin like rainwater off of leaves.

In the darkness, Nya could not see her crying. Maybe Eboni could pretend to be okay, and Nya would never know. Maybe, if she kept her voice controlled, if she kept her breathing even, she could talk like she didn't want to die.

Because she'd never wanted to hear that her father really _was_ lying to her. She'd never wanted to hear how completely he belonged to Povelitel.

Maybe she could pretend the tears away.

She did not know about what Hokori was lying to her, but she didn't want to find out. That would be the end of _everything_ she trusted to be reality! The end of her relationship with her father, and a rift of distrust and fear would replace that bond.

She didn't want to be afraid of him.

_I love you, Daddy. _

"_She has lost faith in the idea that you love her and she loves you."_

_That's not true! _she wanted to shout. She dared not, with Nya beside her, so she gritted her teeth.

_I love him. I love him so much. _

_Is that what he's lying about?_

_That he loves me?_

It took more force than she ever thought necessary to suppress the new whimper in her throat and pounding head.

"Teach me how to do that," Nya said suddenly.

Eboni focused on breathing, but the words made her heart beat faster.

"Teach me how to set up a _Bar'yer_, so I can protect myself against the Whisperers."

Eboni wordlessly pressed her burned finger to Nya's shoulder. It sent pain spiraling up Eboni's arm and into her chest, drilling a hole straight through her and into the wounds on her back, so she felt all her pain as if it were double; but she employed Hidoi, Burning Nya's fear, quieting her, calming her.

"Please teach me," Nya said again, drowsily.

Eboni nodded. But Nya couldn't see her. She had to speak.

"I will," she said, her voice clear and steady. "Just sleep, Nya."

Never mind Eboni's pain, spilling out on her cheeks and dripping salt into the cuts on her hands. Never mind, the throbbing ache in her finger and her back's lashes.

Within moments, Nya fell asleep.

_Povelitel,_ Eboni thought.

_You enjoy this, don't you? _

_What is your plan? What is the end game, here? _

_Is it to play? Is it to set yourself up a kingdom? Is it all about Hidoimastaa? _

_Is it about you, or Hidoi? _

_And who are you to take my father from me? _

Eboni muffled a scream in her throat, pushed it back, stuffed it deep down into her lungs. She suppressed it until it liquefied and drenched her face with hot tears.

She wished for her teammates.

For Liv, to hug her until she fell asleep in her friend's arms.

For Pyoter, to squeeze her hand, smile, give her a glass of water and sit by her.

For Zakhar, to laugh awkwardly. Attempt to comfort her by talking about what he was going to do tomorrow, and about what they were going to study, and who won the last Monopoly game.

For her father. To wrap her in his arms, kiss her forehead, let her cry all over him. To just hold her.

To just sing her to sleep.

"_Milyy, milyy, sonyy, sonyy. Kap kap kap!_"

Eboni bit her trembling lip.

_I love you, Daddy, I _do_. _

She closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of the wall, swallowing her tears, pleading with Hidoi to ease this dread, this fear and grief.

Because she didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to feel it.

_Burn it away, _she mouthed.

_Please. _

_Burn it away._

* * *

**Yeah, sorry about all that. You know how villains can be. **

**[[ANNOUNCEMENT!]] **

**Tomorrow I will be posting a short story about Dobryak (Gahiji and December's father). It includes a legend told by the Amid people. It is VERY IMPORTANT for the overarching plot of Whisper. It won't be posted here in Whisper, it will be in a separate story. ... ****It's also really cute, so if you like either fluff OR plot, I'd recommend you check it out. **

**Also, I don't know how important this is to you guys, but on DeviantArt (I go by StoneByrd), you can find a whole ton of hints and comics about the Whisper characters and plot. One comic in particular, "Among Thieves", includes important behind-the-scenes about Soren, Eboni, and everyone's favorite NinjaGo thief. ;) It's information you won't get at any other point in the story. **

**Thanks for everything, you guys! Your reviews are fantastic. Keep reading! We still got a long ways to go here, so stick around - things start really ramping up next chapter! **

**[[ANNOUNCEMENT OVER.]]**


	44. Burnt

**[Quick re-announcement!] **

**Check out that oneshot, The Legend of Maat Zmey. It is found in the story entitled The Fragments. It explains a few things about Gahiji, December, and Dobryak. The legend is super-important, too. **

**Also, I will be updating Whisper every week until I run out of chapters to post. Expect a chapter every Friday!**

**Without further adieu... **

* * *

Burnt

* * *

Down, Dr. Julien's study

5:53 PM

* * *

"Hey, Uncle Nik," December said, throwing her arms around Nikolai's neck from behind.

Nikolai, hunched over the desk in his cluttered office, jumped.

He managed an anxious chuckle.

"December," he said, reaching up and ruffling her hair. "Hey there."

December laid her chin on his shoulder, grinning. "Your office is so untidy," she remarked.

Nikolai gave a small groan. "Well, I haven't been in here for nearly a decade. I suppose it should have succumbed to entropy."

"This is a little more than entropy," December said, sticking her tongue out at him.

The room was stacked ceiling-to-floor with cabinets and bookshelves, and the floor itself looked as if it had been caught in a newspaper flood. Against the far wall, he sat at his desk, which sported two lamps and crates of folders full of Whisperers and magic, Shauto and otherwise. Next to the bronze lamp was a framed photograph.

"What are you doing in here?" Nikolai asked, after they had both gazed appreciatively at the mess.

"I'm sick of being depressed," December said. She thought for a moment, the added, "And I haven't really gotten to talk to you yet."

Nikolai gathered his papers into a stack, tucking them swiftly into one of the empty folders in the crate. "Well," he said, replacing the folder as inconspicuously as possible. "What did you want to talk about?"

December shuffled her feet, like she wanted to say something but didn't know how to phrase it. Her mouth worked for a few moments.

Nikolai stared at her, struck by her maturity.

Here she was. An adult woman. A resting frown in her lips, straight eyebrows, a curved, open, bronze face, and her mother's icy eyes.

Dr. Julien could not deny it. He had built Zane's eyes to mimic December's; pale azure irises, blue from NinjaGo's sky, touched white with Sneig's winter, which she was born in.

Zane's were bluer. Not wrongly so. White belonged to the Amidian people, truly and completely. Not even a Ninjagian's pale skin could be as pure as December's lashes.

At last, December sighed.

"I'm glad you're here," she said said in a small voice. "I missed you."

Nikolai's heart ached, but he smiled and held out his arms. "_Malyshka_."

December returned to his side, and Nikolai wrapped her in a close embrace, where she buried her face in the collar of his shirt.

"Gahiji missed you, too," she said.

Nikolai stiffened.

"He pretends like he didn't. I think you remind him of Papa." The words were muffled in his neck, making each somehow more painful. "And thinking of Papa makes him think of Hidoi."

_Hidoi..._

Nikolai shivered, and held December closer.

"Gahiji's been pretty troubled by what happened to Amilia, though." December pulled away. She leaned against his desk, regarding the ceiling as she recounted her brother's thoughts. "He keeps saying how he _knows_, but at the same time he _doesn't_ know. It makes me kind of nervous."

"Nervous that we're dealing with Hidoi that he knows very well?" Nikolai clarified.

"No." December grimaced. "I'm nervous that we're dealing with Hidoi that he _doesn't_ know."

A jolt passed though Nikolai.

Hidoi... that Gahiji _didn't_ know?

"I trust him," December said with a tentative smile. "And he fights Hidoi on a daily basis, I know that. I don't believe he'd _ever_ give in to temptation."

"Of course," Nikolai said. His heart thudded fast and numb.

December opened her mouth to say something more when a clatter of footsteps sounded outside of the office. She straightened.

"I think the twins are back!" she exclaimed.

"Are they?"

December started towards the door. "I'm going to welcome them back." She hesitated in the doorway. "Are you coming, or do you have stuff to do?"

"I'll be there in a minute," Nikolai said. "You go on."

December waved and disappeared out the door, and Nikolai grinned in spite of himself.

The smile faded within moments.

... Hidoi that Gahiji _didn't_ know?

He retrieved his folder from the crate, rifling through the documents inside.

They were all covered in sketches and text that Nikolai could barely read anymore. And what he _could_ decipher, he had already confirmed incorrect, so there was no point in obsessively leafing through these old notes.

"Dr. Julien?"

Nikolai slapped the folder shut and whirled.

Kai stood in the doorway. "Hi."

"Oh, Kai. It's you." Nikolai exhaled.

Kai glanced around the room, his brow raised critically at the path cleared through the paper on the floor. He turned his amber eyes on Nikolai. "Is this your study?"

Nikolai laid the folder on top of the crate and stood up from his chair. "It is," he said.

Kai looked up at him inquisitively, but didn't continue.

Nikolai fished politely for conversation.

"So I heard you flew the _Kahgei_," he said. "How was that?"

"Mm? Oh, that. Fun. I mean, I threw up, but it was still fun." Kai forced a sort of smile-grimace.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

A second silence.

"What do you need, m'boy?" Nikolai asked at last.

Kai's eyes narrowed.

He at last spoke, his voice low.

"He's Krovimastaa. Isn't he."

Nikolai closed his eyes. "I don't know," he said firmly. "You'll have to ask him that yourself."

"I did."

"And what did he say?"

"He said to find you."

"Oh."

Nikolai released a quiet breath, though he still felt dread growing in his stomach.

Another lull in the conversation.

"Are you going to welcome the twins back, too?" Nikolai asked at last.

"Sure," Kai said sulkily.

He left the doorway, leaving a startled Nikolai to wonder what note that conversation had ended on.

* * *

Down, Hallway

8:46 PM

* * *

Nikolai caught Gahiji in the Hallway on his way to bed.

"Hey, Gahiji. I need to talk to you."

Gahiji stopped and turned, regarding his uncle silently. Waiting for him to speak.

"I was talking to December earlier," Nikolai said.

Gahiji hoped this was not going to be another conversation about his tattoos. He'd had more than enough for one day.

The wish was dashed within moments of wishing it.

"She said you don't remember things anymore. That you were having trouble recalling Hidoi." Dr. Julien raised one eyebrow. "A mixed blessing, eh?"

Gahiji frowned. Where had December gotten that idea? He hadn't said he _couldn't_ remember Hidoi—that wasn't the problem.

But Nikolai obviously expected a reply.

"If I recalled Hidoi, you could all be dead within the hour," Gahiji said quietly.

"But you also can't figure what's happened to Amilia, either," Nikolai countered, without missing a beat.

Gahiji pursed his lips, glancing around the Hallway. He would've rathered they held this conversation somewhere less open. "There's not been any damage that Shauto cannot undo."

Dr. Julien relaxed a bit. "That is also true. But you have to wonder—_why_ you've forgotten it." He glanced at Gahiji's right arm, seeming to stare straight through his long sleeves. His tone was dry. "Especially when it's a part of you."

_I haven't forgotten it,_ Gahiji thought, his jaw tightening, eyes narrowing. _I simply refuse to remember. That is for your safety, Dr. Julien, and for the safety of NinjaGo. _

_Don't make it sound like it's a disappointment. _

"Did it ever occur to you," Dr. Julien murmured, "that there could be Encryptions inside a human being?"

Gahiji froze.

"Elaborate," he said softly.

Dr. Julien's brow creased on his storm-blue eyes. "An Encryption separates things," he said. "An Encryption in Hidein territory separates Shautei from it. One in a cell separates prisoners from the outside. Do you follow? Do you remember this?"

"Of course," Gahiji snapped.

"If an Encryption can separate physical things, as well as spiritual things, why couldn't it separate mental things?"

Gahiji glanced around the Hallway, concealing his alarm.

Did Nikolai seriously intend to have this conversation here? _Now_?

"Gahiji," Dr. Julien said, "_Think_ about it! Hokori could have Encrypted your memories. Burned them, even. Destroyed them! If all they are is ash, then of _course_ you wouldn't be able to remember."

"Nikolai," Gahiji murmured.

Dr. Julien continued. "Krovimastaa was very close to Hokori, and yet you claim that you don't know who was operating him?"

Gahiji's heart dropped at the name.

Dr. Julien watched it fall, heard it land hard in Gahiji's feet—and he _grinned_.

"So... that _is_ who you are."

Did Dr. Julien know that know Gahiji was so offended—so sickened—that he couldn't speak?

He couldn't know.

"If your memories of Wyche's lair were Encrypted or Burned, it would make so much more sense. How else could Krovimastaa have forgotten how Hidoi worked? How else could he have forgotten who was above Wyche, leading him? What else would explain it? Especially because you were a tool, a weapon—there would be no cost to Wyche if you ever escaped, because something like Amilia would happen, and you wouldn't be able to spill his secrets."

Gahiji did not know his uncle could be so careless. Thoughtless. Unrepentant.

Dr. Julien reached out and took Gahiji by the shoulders.

"Doesn't it hurt, every time you try to remember? That's because it's Encrypted. Because Wyche don't _want_ you to remember. Because he figured if they didn't kill you, you'd still never be able to expose him."

He shook Gahiji, who couldn't do anything but stare down at his uncle.

"So Burn the Encryption. Right? Burn it, and then you'll remember."

His expression softened. "You're _Krovimastaa_. You can do it."

Gahiji could not speak, his throat was so tight.

"And you'll remember what's happened to Amilia. Where the Hidein are. Who's controlling Wyche. You'll remember it all—and then we can beat them, Gahiji."

Nikolai's eyes shimmered with something Gahiji had never seen in them.

Lust.

Gahiji thrust Nikolai off. Dr. Julien's expression flickered from eagerness to confusion.

Gahiji could never have rebuked Dr. Julien to the extent that his uncle's words had penetrated.

He spoke crisply. "You know more than you should."

Nikolai's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? About you? About Krovimastaa?"

Something snapped in Gahiji.

"Stop _calling_ me that!"

Dr. Julien flinched. The shout echoed painfully loud down the corridor.

Gahiji recomposed himself.

"There's no way you could know any of this without knowing Hidoi."

This irritated Nikolai. He frowned and tapped his foot.

"I researched it, yes," he said. "For defensive purposes, so I knew what we were up against. You can never be too careful with a power like that."

_You've _researched_ Hidoi?!_ Gahiji wanted to demand. _And you have the _gall_ to view the Hidein as an enemy, when you yourself are immersed in that power? You have the _nerve_ to use _Shauto_? _

_Does London know that you're on your way to hell? Do _you_ realize it?_

_Because if you did, I don't believe that you could talk to me like this. _

_So nonchalant. So unaffected... _

_Are you even _human_, Nikolai? _

Gahiji's rage grew cold.

"You are Hidein. Your judgement is clouded."

"_Pthh_," said Dr. Julien. "If anyone's judgement is clouded, it is yours. You are too afraid to recognize the truth."

"If it were true that my memories were Encrypted, and it's _not_," Gahiji said, "I could not Burn the separation away. Burning it wouldn't unleash _select_ memories, Dr. Julien. It would release them all."

Gahiji's anger was frigid, but Dr. Julien's annoyance grew into something hot.

"Of course," he said, "that's the _point_, isn't it? To remember, so you can help Amilia. Remember Wyche's employer. Their location. Their power, in detail, as you will have that, power too."

Gahiji stared at him.

In the first place, his uncle was completely wrong. There was no Encryption within Gahiji. He could remember everything if he chose, but he _pointedly_ chose not to.

In the second, Gahiji was terrified of what Dr. Julien was asking him to do.

"You ask me to subject myself to a level of temptation that severe?" he murmured.

Dr. Julien paled. "No, Gahiji, I—"

"You ask me to expose myself to Hidoi again. To risk Krovimastaa's return. To risk the death of everyone in Down, and everyone outside of it."

"First Spinjitzu Master, boy. For _NinjaGo's_ sake! That's the only reason why this is necessary. How else are we going to discover Wyche's location? Or the identity of his master, who is using him as a pawn? Or what happened to Amilia? Or what Whisperers really are?"

"By some other means," said Gahiji.

And finally, his voice betrayed his fierce anger—his desperate resolve.

"I will never touch Hidoi again," he murmured.

Dr. Julien took a step back. He huffed.

And then Gahiji noticed Lloyd in the kitchen doorframe.

He closed his eyes. Withheld a curse.

"Lloyd," Dr. Julien said. He did not try to force a pleasant tone. "What do you need, m'boy."

Lloyd shook his head, eyes on the floor. "That's, um, my room," he mumbled, pointing to the door that Gahiji and Nikolai had inadvertently blocked.

Gahiji and Nikolai parted. Lloyd, head down, entered his room and shut the door quickly.

Silence echoed in the corridor.

Dr. Julien forced an attempt at a smile. His eyes slitted reproachfully.

"Fear doesn't become you, Krovimastaa," he said, soft, but venomous.

"Don't call me that," Gahiji said, equally quiet.

Dr. Julien clapped Gahiji's shoulder as he passed. Gahiji jerked him off, but Dr. Julien strode down the corridor, disappearing into his study, never looking back at his nephew.

Gahiji was left alone in the Hallway, seething, grieving, and afraid.


	45. Dear Zane,

Dear Zane,

* * *

Down, Hallway

9:21 PM

* * *

The Hallway was darker than usual. The lights on the ceiling were on a timer, set to dim and create a sleepy environment for bedtime.

Zane started down the corridor, searching for his father's study.

Jay's door was shut, as was the entrance to Lloyd and Cole's room. The bedroom that Zane shared with Kai was open, however, and Zane could hear the Master of Fire snoring deeply from inside.

But he continued, passing more bedrooms, determining which belonged to which people, until he reached his father's study.

He reached the room just before the Garage and concluded it belonged to his father by the bronze plaque on the door reading "Nikolai Julien".

And the "do not disturb" above the handle.

Zane bit his lip. _He_ had every right to knock on this door, and at last he did, but not without glancing guiltily at the sign.

"Father," he said softly. He took a breath. "It's me, Zane. Can I come in?"

"_So where did your power source come from?" Jay had asked._

"_He didn't say," Zane admitted._

It had bothered him, ever since Jay brought it up. His power source was a _human soul_, after all, and one did not simply find those lying around. Zane had been anxious to get a hold of his father all day, and had not one chance.

"Father?" Zane said again. "I came to ask you something… Hello?"

There was no response.

He frowned. Was he justified in opening the door? Perhaps his father was asleep, or so absorbed in whatever-he-was-doing that he hadn't heard his son. So Zane tried the knob.

It didn't open at first. Zane twisted the knob and pushed a little harder. It opened with a slow, strange drag.

Like there was something on the other side of the door.

"Hello?"

Low light from the Hallway poured over the contents of the study. Papers littered the floor, books were thrown off the shelves on the walls, and files of papers were strewn all over. Zane choked on a breath—the stench of dead fire filled his throat and nostrils. The desk against the far wall was gone, the floor was spread with black and violet ashes.

... Something was terribly wrong.

_Shhhlllk_.

Zane stiffened. There was a puddle of dark, sticky liquid beneath his foot that squelched when he moved.

Throat clenched, he peered around the entrance.

His father's body was pinned against the door, hanging like a bug against corkboard, by a sword through his forehead. Blood congealed in his clothes and in streams down his face, down the door, seeping into the carpet.

Zane couldn't breathe.

"F-father—"

Nikolai faced him, his eyes blanks and half-open, from behind the sword's dark blade and handle.

"Father—_no_—"

Zane entered the room, grabbed the hilt of the jet-black katana and yanked it out, pressing his sleeve immediately to the wound to stop the blood—the blood, cold and crusted and still. Nikolai slumped to the floor. Zane dropped with him, tossing the katana aside.

It thudded against the floor, then dissolved into dark mist.

Nikolai's eyes were half-closed, lips parted, skin gray. Black ash was smeared on both his cheeks. Zane wiped at the clotted blood on his father's face, fumbled in his gi for peppermint oil.

"_Z-zhiit,_" he said, pouring the whole vial over Nikolai's forehead.

The green liquid trickled into the wound, which passed all the way through his father's brain. Zane placed his palms, without gloves, over his father's head, gasping the ritual. "_Zhiit, rebenok… zhiit, _please_, zhiit..._"

The skin mended together, cold flesh meshing, muscle and bone sewn together with Shauto's feeble light. Nikolai's forehead bubbled and crackled faintly as it reformed itself and his brain.

Zane shook his father desperately. "Wake up! Please!"

The wound was gone. Nikolai no longer had a gaping hole in his forehead, and though blood soaked his pasty skin, the cause of death was no longer there.

More tears streamed down Zane's face, freezing when they split from his chin. Small, round, pure shards of ice plinked onto the carpet and onto Nikolai's dress shirt.

"Please wake up... wake _up_…"

Nikolai simply stared at him under heavy lids.

Zane's hands shook.

"Help," he croaked hoarsely. "Someone help..."

He gritted his teeth.

"_Help!_ Please, we need help!"

Nikolai lay, cold, in Zane's arms.

Unresponsive to his son's shouts, unaware of the tears on Zane's cheeks, deaf to his grief and terror.

"Father! _Father!_"

Shauto could mend the wound.

But it could not Heal what was already dead.

* * *

Down, Hallway

9:29 PM

* * *

"_You_!" Kai shouted.

His index finger landed directly in Gahiji's chest. Kai's eyes were ablaze with accusation.

December's gaze flitted from Kai to her brother, her eyes stinging, her fists clenched.

"_You!_" Kai cried again.

He grabbed Gahiji's collar and shoved him to the wall. The Amidian pushed back, but Kai thrust him hard to the wall once more. Gahiji's head cracked painfully against it, echoing in the Hallway.

"Kai!" The Ninja all jumped forward, but Kai spat into Gahiji's face.

"You filthy bastard, _Krovimastaa_!"

And everyone froze.

The entirety of Down was there, just outside the study, in the wake of Dr. Julien's murder.

And they had all heard Kai's accusation.

Kai whirled on them.

"_Duh_," he said. "_Duh_, he's Krovimastaa."

He lunged for Gahiji's wrist, ripping back his sleeve, exposing the black tattoos.

"He is Amid," he spat. "The language of the Underworld is written on his body in black. _Hidoi_."

Gahiji jerked his arm out of Kai's grip and rolled his sleeve back down. His hands shook.

"A _human weapon_, belonging to Hokori Wyche," Kai said.

He looked at Gahiji. "Right?" he said.

Gahiji could not meet his gaze.

Kai spun to face December, who stiffened.

"_Right_?" he sneered.

December didn't know what to do—where to look—what to say. Suddenly all eyes were upon her, silently inquiring of the truth of Kai's words, because whatever she did or didn't say would put Gahiji exactly where Kai wanted him.

But she couldn't breathe.

Kai snarled.

"_Damn_, you guys, put the pieces together! He's Krovimastaa!"

The shock reverberated off the walls of Down.

December clenched her fists. _Your point is? _she wanted to say, though she couldn't bring herself to speak.

_Yes, Gahiji was Krovimastaa. Yes, he killed people. Do you mean to say that he killed his own uncle? _

"This monster," Kai growled, shoving his finger again into Gahiji's collarbone, "this _bastard_ killed his own uncle."

December found her voice. "No," she blurted.

Kai whipped around. Frustration and disgust curled his lip.

"Who _else_?" he demanded. He retracted his finger from Gahiji's collarbone and turning on December. "You heard what Zane said."

He gestured to his teammate. Tears still streaked down Zane's cheeks, his eyes on the floor, even with Sensei Wu's arm around him.

"A black blade," Kai said. He repeated Zane's words, the ones he had sobbed when they found him. "A jagged, ebon katana, one that _dissolved_ upon striking the floor. You mean to tell me that's not Hidoi? You mean to tell me that's not Krovimastaa?"

"Kai," Wu said sharply.

"Gahiji didn't hurt Uncle Nik!" December exclaimed, taking a step forward.

Kai half-smiled. "And what evidence do you have? Hate to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but baby sister doesn't have an impartial word to offer. You can't speak for him."

December opened her mouth, then closed it, grinding her teeth.

"Yes I can," she said darkly. "Yes I can. _It wasn't him._"

"Dr. Nikolai Julien was killed by Krovimastaa," Kai said, ignoring her.

"He didn't kill his own uncle," December said, her voice rising. "He couldn't. He wouldn't."

"_Kai_," Wu said again, louder, but in vain.

"This man—this _creature_—a killer to his core—" Kai seized Gahiji's collar again, pulling him struggling from the wall, showing him to the crowd like an animal "—he has returned to embrace his potential as Hidein. He never really _left_ that potential in the dust, now, did he?"

"You're wrong!" December cried. She advanced on Kai, stopping only a foot from him. "You're _wrong_, Kai, so stop! We're not getting anywhere!"

"I'm _right_," Kai sneered back.

He leaned so close that she could see the fierceness in his amber eyes and feel the heat of his breath on her chin. "Your brother is a _killer_, he _murdered_ children, he _murdered_ Adolfjin, and he_ murdered your uncle_."

"_Stop_," December said, her voice faltering. "I already knew about Krovimastaa. We all know, now, so stop."

Kai bent closer, leering, so close that she flinched away to keep their noses from touching.

"_Make me_."

Gahiji grabbed Kai's wrist.

Kai spun around, stiff, raising his other arm to defend himself, but Gahiji only gazed down at him.

Perhaps December was the only one who saw the grief in Gahiji's silver eyes.

"Galdaichin." Gahiji's voice was quiet, almost gentle. "You should have thought."

No one understood immediately. Kai stared at him, his lips parted because he wanted to argue, but couldn't process what Gahiji had just said.

But Zane's face was now in his hands, roping and constricting his emotions in the silence.

Each face in the Hallway was drained, pale—London's eyes glistened, though she kept her lips pursed. Tears trickled freely down Ed's face, Edna clutching his hand, her head bowed. Cole, Jay, and Lloyd huddled next to Zane, arms around their teammate. Azamat gripped Amilia protectively to his side, both of them hurt and frightened. Garmadon's gaze was fastened on Gahiji. Misako's hands were in her hair.

And then December understood what Gahiji meant.

Revealing Krovimastaa?_ Right now_, when it had been barely minutes since they had discovered their loss, and all of Down was already in shock?

Kai glared back at Gahiji.

"We know what you've done," he said poisonously. "Some may _deny_ it."

December wanted to slap him.

"But it's out, Krovimastaa," Kai spat. "It's done. Just try to push anything else by us—we know what you _really_ are."

Gahiji remained unfazed.

"You accuse me," he said. "But now, we have lost a friend, an uncle, and a father. Remember yourself, Kai."

December blinked hard. Dizzy, she could only breathe, watching Gahiji exit the crowd.

Then the ice shattered.

Zane fell to his knees, bowed his head, and sobbed.

Sensei Wu helped him back up, and when Zane could not walk, Cole lifted him into his arms and carried him to his bed, where December knew he would cry through the night.

As Down slipped in and out of focus, London caught December's arm.

"Baby girl," she murmured. She found December's hand, gripping it tightly. "He and Nik had an argument only a few hours ago. Lloyd saw them both."

"It wasn't Gahiji."

"We cannot ignore his past. Not where Hidoi is involved."

London's eyes pleaded with her for something; it looked like pity, shining there, though December could not think why.

"_It wasn't Gahiji_," December said. She took London's other hand and tugged as she spoke. "He wouldn't _touch_ Uncle Nik. If Hidoi were to eat him _alive_, he wouldn't do it. Never."

"December, please," London said. "You're his sister. Look past that. I hate to think it was him, I do." Her voice shook. "But not a word Kai has said has been false."

"Except he _didn't kill Uncle Nik_," December snapped.

"You have that much faith in him?"

"Of course I do! I _know_ Gahiji, London! I know that he would _never_! I know that he loves Uncle Nik with all his heart, just like you and me and the Walkers and Zane, and that now that Nik is dead, he's crumbling inside, just like us, he's just absolutely horrid at showing it. It's not because he's my brother, London, it's because he's my _best friend_, and my best friend loves Nik like he loved our father."

And then December realized that she was crying.

Had been, since Gahiji left the Hallway. Tears of frustration and anger because everyone thought it was Gahiji and they were all _wrong_.

_Even you,_ December thought, glaring at the woman that she clutched by the hands. _Even you. And you're the closest we ever had to a mother. _

"Gahiji asked you to kill him," December said, and now she was painfully conscious of her voice cracking. "He told you to_ kill him_ if he ever used Hidoi again, if he didn't kill himself, first. If he had murdered his uncle that he loves so much, he would have killed _himself_ with the same sword."

The thought—Gahiji, turning the blade on himself, as easily as he had killed Nikolai Julien, and both of them dead on the floor—her _braht_, just like her Papa, just like her _dyadya_, her uncle, dead.

Nikolai.

Dead.

And it all sank in, and December fell into London's open arms, weeping.

* * *

Deep in the night, Gahiji stood by her bedside.

He smoothed her hair away from her forehead. She couldn't even open her eyes, but the room was lit by a soft glow that shimmered through her eyelids.

"_Bol'shoye spasibo, sestra_," he whispered.

_Thank you._

December's throat was raw and her lungs ached. She should not even breathe an answer, but she tried, managing a low, painful croak.

He shushed her. "_Pozhalustya, sestra, spaat'._" _Get some sleep. _

Hours had passed, and December should not have tears anymore, but she did. They wetted the pillow as Gahiji left the bedside, and she wept until morning.


	46. The Deepest Blues Are Black

**This chapter is titled after the song by Foo Fighters. They are brilliant. Go check them out. **

* * *

The Deepest Blues Are Black

* * *

In Darkness

* * *

There was no light.

Was she still in the cell?

Nya did not feel Eboni beside her. She wasn't afraid, either, though she could see nothing, and could not feel ground beneath her. She was suspended in pitch black, as if floating in water.

It was almost serene here, she thought.

Dark, void.

Comforting.

Vaguely she thought she should be alarmed. Where was she? Why did she feel like there was someone else here with her, though she was alone?

But she liked floating here, in this warm expanse of darkness.

She could see her hands, even though the black was so absolute that she could physically feel it pressuring her into her hovering position. Her skin glowed gray. Her hair drifted around her, like she really was underwater.

"Nya."

It was Kai's voice.

Nya knew then that she was dreaming.

"Hey, sis. How you feelin'?"

_Good,_ she thought. _Really good. I feel like the Element of Fire is warming me. _

_Warming my soul. _

"You like it here, then?"

_I do. It's the best thing I've ever felt. Warm... free... endless..._

"Isn't it? I like it, too. This place is called Hidoi."

_Is it?_ Nya blinked. _Oh. _

_That's wonderful. _

"Hey, sis, listen. What do you say we learn to _use_ Hidoi? Together? Imagine! Hangin' out here for the rest of forever."

_It's a little dark._

"I guess... But why would we need light?"

_Heh. Good point. _

"I'm serious, Nya. Eboni's here all the time. She gets this Burn, _all the time_."

_Wouldn't that be something..._

"I'll tell you what."

Nya opened her eyes. She could hear something, underneath Kai's voice. Something far-off, high-pitched, barely audible.

"Next time a Hidein comes, make a deal with them. You'll learn Hidoi, they'll let you out of that cell. By getting into their army—maybe even into their Siniy—you'll get out. I am _positive_ that Hokori won't object."

Nya realized that she was in pain. The high keening sound was melting slowly out of the background and into the foreground, and the louder it got, the more it hurt.

_What is that sound? _she asked.

"What sound? What are you talking about, Nya?"

Then the darkness dissolved, and Nya saw where she really was.

There were Whisperers all around her. Hundreds, no, _thousands_ of eyes shone through the darkness and onto her skin, and pain blossomed in Nya's chest, through her limbs, in her head.

_What—_Nya's eyes widened. _Kai—you tricked me!_

Kai's voice grew urgent. "No, Nya, wait a second—"

And then the sound hit full-force.

It was a long, loud, piercing scream.

And to Nya's terror and confusion, it was _Kai_.

She had never heard him make a sound so desperate. Absolutely tortured was the sound that reached her—in an anguish that Nya was sure Kai had never felt, his voice became shrill, frightening, like he had swallowed a mouthful of shattered glass and was screaming blood.

"_Nya!_" he cried.

Nya tried to call back to him. _Kai, I'm here! _

"_Go!_" Kai was sobbing. Screaming, at the same time. "_Get out!_"

He was in so much pain.

He was _dying_.

She could _feel_ him, and suddenly she could see him; he was shriveling, blackening, crumbling away like charred wood, though there was no fire seen or heard. He reached out, his fingers a lattice of ashen twigs—Nya reached, too, flailing to catch his hand in her own.

_Kai, come here! _she said, groping for his rippling, blurring image. _Come here, Kai, I can Heal you! _

But she couldn't.

No matter how far she reached, she could not touch him. She realized that she was being torn from this world—the Whisperers took hold of her with grubby, ghostly paws, dragging her away from her brother.

Tears of frustration welled in her eyes.

_You hold on, Kai! _she ordered, struggling against the legion of humming Whisperers that heaved her at a crawl away from him, clawing at her.

Nya rose up, straight and tall, fixing Kai's terrified, soot-smeared face with a steely gaze. _You hold on until I can come get you!_

Kai's burnt hand lowered. He bit his lip against a tide of despair, which Nya could feel in her own chest.

"_Please, hurry,_" he breathed.

The Whisperers clustered around her until she could not see him.

"Kai!" she shouted. "_Kai!_"

Then the hands, eyes, Kai's scream, her own voice, _disappeared_.

Sudden blackout, like whiplash, and Nya was floating in silent darkness once again.

She tried to gather herself. Her skin tingled with the lingering Burn of Hidoi.

And then.

A deep, gentle voice.

... One that she_ recognized_.

"Oh, Nya," Overlord said softly.

He grabbed her, ripped her from his mind, and threw her back into her cell.

* * *

Povelitel's Chamber

* * *

Povelitel awoke.

"Soren," he mumbled.

It took only minutes for the Fragment to knock on his door. During which time, Povelitel fumed. He drew his six robotic legs up close to him, shivering, but not cold.

"Soren, my boy," he said again, when the knock came. "Enter."

He looked away from the door as Soren entered, as light flooded into the room. Soren shut it quickly behind him.

"Father? You called for me, what is it?"

Restless, Povelitel scuttled down the pocked wall, reaching his son's side in seconds. Soren recoiled. "You must kill them. Kill them both."

"What—? Who?"

Povelitel scraped the floor. "Kill the Samurai. Kill Eboni."

A long pause.

"... Father?"

"We have failed. Nya will not come for even Kai."

"Your meaning is unclear. Eboni is with her, teaching her Hidoi, like we planned—"

"Eboni has _failed_." It was all Povelitel could do to keep from shouting. "Nya's Potential is _useless_ if she will not embrace Hidoi, even when her brother's voice assures her it is right."

Soren frowned in the glow of Povelitel's eyes.

"That… may be so," he said reluctantly.

Povelitel growled. He crossed the room in a heartbeat, hastening up the wall, his claws finding the divots in the stone without having to concentrate.

"Father," Soren said, alarmed by his quickness.

"Why hesitate, Soren? Why? You're my Fragment." Povelitel's voice grew sour. "You should have no trepidation."

Soren fumbled over his words, his brown eyes wide and frantic.

"Wait," he protested. "Why kill them, now? Is Nya really so far gone?"

"She is. She will not become a Hidoimastaa. If we keep her, she will be our undoing."

"Are you so sure?"

"_Soren_." Povelitel snarled, and Soren flinched. "She is my kin. Both Kai and Nya are directly descended from me, but my blood runs so strong through that girl that her true identity cannot be mistaken. If she is not Hidoimastaa, it would be better that she was dead."

Povelitel returned to Soren's side, having completed a full circle around the room. He paused.

Soren gazed at him, clutching his arms to stifle a faint shiver, his breath crystallizing in the chamber.

Povelitel regarded that fear for a moment.

"Dear boy." Povelitel softened. "I am not angry with you."

"I know," Soren said quickly, looking at the floor.

"What is it? Why are you afraid?"

"I'm not afraid, father." Soren lifted his gaze again. "But I believe your frustration clouds your reasoning."

Povelitel narrowed his eyes. "Oh?"

Soren winced.

"Nya cannot become Shautei until she learns Shauto. And she cannot learn Shauto when she is apart from it."

"She cannot learn Shauto whilst _dead_," Povelitel countered.

"But she is a liability to the Ninja, in any case."

"To Kai?" Povelitel said, circling Soren. "Give me another reason."

"Not just to Kai. To all of the Ninja. They all care deeply for her, viewing her as their sister. Controlling her fate gives us an advantage over them."

Povelitel considered this.

"And Eboni?" he inquired, honestly interested. "Why keep her, when she will very soon betray you and become useless?"

Soren grew solemn. "She cannot betray me. She does not know the truth."

Povelitel almost scoffed. He tilted his head, resting his neck on his son's shoulder, so his face was next to Soren's.

"Truth is a stubborn creature, Soren," he purred. "This you ought to know. It will reveal itself whether it is convenient or inconvenient for us, at its own leisure, and no amount of attempting to conceal it will destroy its sting when it is so unveiled."

"Why pose at all, then?" Soren asked. "If the truth were to be inevitably revealed... why have you instructed me to conceal it?"

Povelitel would have smirked if his features were not unmoving metal.

"To _amuse_ you, Soren, with her devastation when it _does_ come to light. Don't you find it amusing?"

Soren did not answer. He rubbed his arms, still shuddering faintly.

Povelitel folded his legs near his power source, removing his head from Soren's shoulder.

"Come, come," he said, reaching a spindly hand to his son's face. "It has always been expected for her to embrace reality. Then you may see her in _anguish_. And when she is most thoroughly tortured by the grief of a _Fragment_ standing in place of her father, and is driven mad by the pain of it—when she _hates_ you with all her heart and soul—_then_ will she die. Won't it please you?"

Soren did not reply to that, either. He did not meet Povelitel's pulsing violet gaze, even when his father brushed dark hair tenderly away from Soren's creased forehead.

Povelitel knew precisely why Soren did not acknowledge him.

He acted confused. "My boy," he said. "Why hesitate?"

"She may not have your Potential," Soren said quietly, "but she is still of your blood. She truly is of Hidoi."

Povelitel was impressed.

He watched Soren's eyes scan the floor. Then wearily, warily, Soren lifted his gaze to meet Povelitel's own.

"She shows more than promise," Soren said. "Her soul is submerged. She is in love with Hidoi."

"And even if we teach her, she will still learn the truth, and kill you." Povelitel wished to offer Soren a wan smile, but could not. "At least, she would _try_ to kill you."

He watched Soren think, amused to see his eyes shifting, his brow furrowing, his frown deepening.

It was perfectly delightful, after all, to watch things unfold in precisely the way one meant them to.

Soren's dark eyes met Povelitel's own with nearly indignant determination.

"If I guided her in a Hidoimastaa's path," he said, "she will belong to Hidoi, and she will not betray us. She _cannot_ betray. When she fights for Hidoi, she fights for you."

Silence.

Povelitel found a way to smirk, even without lips to contort. His eyes flashed.

"Do as you see fit, Soren. I trust your judgement."

* * *

Soren gazed at his father.

_I don't trust yours, _he thought.

_On the spur of the moment, just because you lose Nya, you decide to kill them both? _

"Separate them. You may go."

Soren did go. He left, slamming the door. The sound echoed down the stone corridor.

_That's it, _he thought.

_I don't trust you, Povelitel. _

_You keep me in the dark. You manipulate me, and I can see that—I can feel when you tug on the strings. I'm not stupid. _

He gritted his teeth.

_You call yourself my father? Yes, I may be a Fragment of your soul, but now _I'm free_. _

He halted.

Then a slow, forbidden grin crept over his face.

_Yeah, that's right. _

_You let me go. _

_I'm free. _

_... Free from the confinements of your soul, anyway, even if I'm not free from _you_. _

_But I _am_ free, to an extent. I can choose what I believe. Right? I can decide for myself, right?_

Why had he never thought of this? _Why_ had he never realized how much freedom he really had? All these years, and he had never stopped to think that Povelitel wasn't the only thing in his life that mattered?

_Because my existence is starting to change. _

Because he had only ever acted as a puppet. He was now realizing that he _wasn't_ one, not necessarily.

Soren was beginning to feel the pull of what Povelitel called _truth_—towards Eboni, towards Nya, towards the concept that things didn't have to be this way.

He was beginning to understand that people could make lasting imprints in his soul.

Because people _were_ making imprints. And he was morphing to fit those patterns, exploring a whole aspect of being that he hadn't known existed.

_Is this what it means... _

_... To be my own? _

Soren's breath came shallow. He shook his head; he ascended the stairs, boots clomping, cloak fluttering. A cold bead of sweat slipped down his temple.

_Now, I feel things that I have never felt before—I develop my own person, away from you. _

_Did you not realize, father, that I could grow to despise you? For splitting your soul with Hidoi, turning me into a person; granting me an existence with a half-life, a half-soul, a half-purpose, and a half-heart?_

He reached his room; he flung the door open, slammed it shut behind him.

_Why limit me like that? _he thought. His entire frame shook with the indignation and despair that he had not before allowed to manifest itself.

_Why did you create me, if you knew I was to be subject to this kind of pain? That I was to be alive, but unable to _truly_ live? _

_Isn't that what you would want for me, if you really loved me?_

Everything he had ever trusted to be reality came crumbling down like a sandcastle around his head, the wave flooding salt froth at his feet.

_We _are_ the same person, so why _shouldn't_ I serve you, who created me from your very core, from the dust of your being, and gave me this vessel to live in? _he wondered. _I never thought to _question_ you. I viewed you as my father, in every respect; a figure to pledge myself to, a figure who knew best. _

_I knew nothing else. I didn't know there was anything _different_ from you, that perhaps you _weren't_ everything, that—perhaps—Eboni was _not_ simply a puppy, meant to be played with and petted and deceived. _

_You told me you loved me, and I believed you. _

_I-I believed you, damn it. _

Soren squeezed his eyes shut.

_But if you really created me—no, Fragmented me—and then released me to live with an incomplete, fictional existence, teaching me to kill, teaching me to be a puppet... _

_... then I don't believe that you _do_ love me. _

It was the end of everything he had ever known.

But it was change.

Changeof mind, heart, and Fragmented soul.

And it was _painful_.

_So, if you don't love me..._

He spat.

_Why should _I _love _you_?_


	47. Once, I Could Trust You

**I'd like to thank Astrid16 for being my beta! She has gone through every chapter you read for a loooong time, making things the best they can be. She writes some incredible stuff! Go check her out! **

* * *

Once, I Could Trust You

* * *

The Hidein Compound, Siniy's quarters

2:04 AM

* * *

"Ebonira."

Her eyes fluttered open.

She was lying on her side in her dark bedroom. Warm covers had been laid over her, her hair cleaned and brushed, her face washed.

A soft glow emanated from the candle in her father's hands, contouring his aging face in gold.

She almost cried with relief, seeing her Daddy's face. Her eyes wetted, but she didn't allow the tears to show.

She was not in a cell.

"Did I fail?" she whispered.

Hokori set the candlestick on the floor beside her sleeping mat. He was on his knees beside her; he sat back on his ankles, pulling his cloak around himself, gazing at her with level, unreadable eyes.

Eboni shifted under her covers—then realized that they weren't hers. They were thick and downy, and definitely not for a soldier. She wondered where they had come from.

She looked up at her father.

"Am I going to die?" she whispered.

"No," Hokori said firmly.

He pulled something from the shadows. A plate of food, a glass of water. Eboni saw the platter of real chicken and potatoes, with real biscuits, and gravy poured over top of them. Immediately her mouth wetted.

Hokori grasped her hand and pulled up gently upright. To Eboni's momentary surprise, she felt no pain. Her back, which had previously been a latticework of red, brown, and agony, gave no indication of pain at all. Eboni shifted her legs underneath her.

Hokori flashed a brief, thin-lipped smile, holding the plate out for her to take it. Diagonal across the plate was a fork and a knife, which Eboni snatched and vigorously tore at the chicken with.

The hands with which she ate, previously marred and cut, were no longer aching, inflamed, or pink.

Instead, the skin was stained jet black.

Her wounds had been Burned away.

The infirmities were replaced by onyx-black skin. She had been "healed" by Hidoi.

And would live with the black tattoo of her wounds for the rest of her life.

Tears pricked at her eyes. It was not her choice, and she didn't care terribly about her appearance to begin with, but it still stung.

As she wolfed her meal, her eyes scanned her arms, which looked like charred wood. She glanced at her shoulder, which was the same gray-black as the shadows behind Hokori. Her finger, burned by the hot oil, was now Burned, too. She knew her back must look the same, with an erratic design of darkness tailored to her skin.

She understood why. Povelitel obviously wanted her alive and well. It was better than dying.

She'd just... have to get used to it.

Hokori watched her eat. Silent. Completely, truly silent, a quiet that set Eboni on edge.

Eboni set the plate down, empty. That was easily the best meal she'd ever had in her life, if only because of how hungry she was. She could have eaten that dinner twice over and had room for dessert.

_What's going to happen to Nya? _she almost asked.

But she didn't.

Instead, she gazed at her father.

Echoes of Povelitel's words whispered in her mind.

"_She has lost faith in the idea that you love her and she loves you."_

That was a lie. Eboni loved him. He was the only parent she had. He taught her, fed her, took care of her.

... And he was Povelitel's son?

No, the idea was ludicrous. Povelitel was an _android_. There was no way that Hokori could be his literal offspring.

"You ought to sleep." Hokori gestured for her to lie down.

Eboni hesitated. But she laid back on the bamboo mat, and Hokori tucked the corners of the blanket in around Eboni's chin.

She was sharply reminded of her youth, when her father would press the cloth about her neck to sleep, singing softly.

"_Milyy, milyy, sonnyy, sonnyy," _went his lullaby._ "Moy milyy, sonnyy mal'kov. Ya smotryu na neye i ulybka..."_

Then he would grin. _"Vdrug, neozhidanno...!"_

Eboni remembered exploding into giggle fits as he tickled her.

"_Kap, kap, kap, kap! Ona plesnul mnye!"_

Eboni had known what the lyrics meant, at one point. Something like... "_cute, sleepy baby fishie... my sleepy baby fishie... and suddenly...! Kap, kap! She splashed me!" _Eboni couldn't remember it all.

But she knew the melody. The notes were written in her heart.

"_Kap, kap!"_

Every time that fishie splashed, she would giggle, and his eyes would soften with his smile.

And then his voice would slow and hush. _"A potom ona spiit. A potom ona mechtayet._"

And he would tuck the blanket around her neck, and cup her face in his hands until she stilled, and lean down, kissing her forehead.

"_Oh, but now, she will sleep. Oh, but now, she will dream."_

He would rub his nose against hers, breathing a gentle laugh.

"_Khoroshikh snov... moya mal'kov."_

"_And may she have sweet dreams... my baby fishie." _

She could not express how badly she wanted her youth back, if only to see his smile again. If only to be tickled, and laugh, and sing _"kap, kap!"_ in a round, her voice to his sweet tenor.

If only to be his baby fishie again.

Once more, Eboni blinked back tears.

Because now, Hokori only stared down at her.

A cold, _cold_ look, compared to the one she remembered.

"Daddy," Eboni begged. "Don't lie to me anymore."

He stiffened.

Eboni's voice cracked. "P-please."

Hokori swallowed. Then he reached out, sweeping Eboni's hair from her forehead.

He leaned down and kissed her there.

His voice was soft, a little shaky.

"I'm proud of you."

Eboni felt new tears. This time, they overflowed, and streaked down her face, pale yellow in the candlelight.

Because she wanted it to be the truth.

* * *

Bottom of Hidein Compound, the Dyrian Cell

2:09 AM

* * *

Nya awoke.

She tried to catch her breath.

Her dream had been _terrifying_.

_Kai..._

She rolled over on the floor, where she had slept. "Eboni?" she whispered.

There was no response. Eboni must still be asleep.

She sat up to shake her cellmate awake. "Hey. Eboni."

She expected Eboni to grumble._ "Are we always going to be on your time schedule, then?" "I'm awake, I'm awake. Ready to float your boat again." "What, is your boat sinking, Samurai?"_

But she reached out.

And her hand closed on air.

She kept leaning forward until her fingers found the wall. Then the floor.

"E-Eboni?"

She got on her knees, crawling across the floor, feeling along the wall. Fervently, she pleaded for Eboni to wake up and say her name, so Nya wouldn't feel so alone, so she could tell her about this vivid, disturbing dream.

She found the corner of the cell.

Nya bit her lip. She continued along another wall, feeling for her friend. "Eboni. Hey, wake up."

She made it all the way around the small room without finding anyone.

Nya forced the panic down her throat. It took all her might not to cry.

She crossed the center of the room, exploring the rest of the open space with her hands and knees. "Eboni. _Eboni_. Please say something..."

But the cell was empty.

_Eboni was gone._

Then.

The hushed voice.

"_Eboni? E-E-Eboni? Kchh! What a pretty name._"

Nya screamed.

* * *

Down, Cafeteria

11:18 AM

* * *

Zane sat with his forehead on the table.

Cole and Jay sat on either side of him in the Cafeteria. Cole made short work of breakfast—or lunch, or dinner, Zane didn't know anymore—and then sat in silence.

Jay rubbed Zane's back, keeping a steady rhythm, his eyes fixed on the doorframe.

The fabric of his shirt bunched and smoothed with each motion of Jay's palm. Zane focused on that, ignoring his systems when they alerted him of having lost too much liquid the night before.

Down was in a state of terror. The mystery of Nikolai's murder remained unsolved, even with Misako doing all she could as a practiced forensic scientist to identify the criminal. All eyes had, irrefutably, turned to Gahiji, who neither pleaded innocence nor confessed guilty.

Zane did not think about that, though. He didn't let himself think about anything but Jay's massaging hand.

He concentrated so completely on Jay's hand, he did not immediately notice when Kai entered the room.

"Is he okay?" Kai asked. When he said it, Zane had no idea how long he had been there.

But he felt Jay and Cole twist to look at each other. They shook their heads.

Zane breathed evenly in and out. He couldn't cry even if he wanted to. He had shed every ounce of water in his body, which probably contributed to his lack of energy. But he dared not rehydrate only to cry again.

Even so, he could still sob in his breathing, without tears—so he filled and refilled his lungs as steadily as he could, following the rhythm of Jay's back-and-forth caress.

A pause.

Then Kai cleared his throat. "Hey, uhhm, Zane."

Zane lifted his head. The Master of Fire shuffled his feet slightly where he stood, his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the floor.

"I... eh." Kai looked abruptly from his feet to the ceiling.

An apology seemed to be forming on his lips. An apology for last night, or for Zane's father, or to Zane himself, or for all three of them, or all of Down—or to Gahiji—Zane would never know.

Kai didn't ever force it out.

He finally grunted.

"Ed and Edna taught me how to fly the _Kahgei_," he said in a rush. "And I had another test-drive with London this morning. I can fly it by myself now."

Zane blinked. He almost croaked an answer, but ultimately couldn't manage it.

"I need someone to critique my steering." Kai made as if to exit the room, but hung back at the doorway, his frown expectant. " 'Coming, Zane?"

Zane hesitated.

Then Jay removed his hand from Zane's back.

The Nindroid at last nodded. "Yes."

Kai's frown relaxed a little. He left the room, motioning for Zane to follow.

The Nindroid forced himself to his feet, glancing at Cole. The Master of Earth gave him a thumbs-up. Jay, too, presented both thumbs and a smile that was more cardboard then teeth.

Kai disappeared down the corridor, and Zane followed.

They bumped into Lloyd and December in the Hallway.

"Hi," Lloyd said.

December waved. Her eyes were heavy and shaded with grief, reminding Zane of how much he had appreciated Jay's rubbing hand.

Lloyd's eyes locked onto Zane almost immediately. Then to Kai. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Kai flashed a brief smile. "Flying." He paused, then motioned quickly. "Wanna come?"

Zane blinked. He had assumed that an ulterior motive in Kai's asking Zane for help was to privately voice the apology that he had almost managed back in the Cafeteria. Perhaps he genuinely wanted to be critiqued?

Lloyd's eyebrows shot up, but Kai had started back down the Hallway before December or Lloyd could object.

The two followed. "So you've already learned how to fly the jet?" December said.

"Zane's going to tell me whether I have." Kai nonchalantly opened the door to the Garage and entered, leaving Zane to catch the door as it swung shut in his face. Zane shook himself, following Kai down the steps into the Garage.

"That was fast," Lloyd said. "Are you sure you know how to fly it?"

"I can start it. I can fly it. I can land it."

They approached the _Kahgei_, the sleek, black, thin jet in the center of the chamber. Zane halted, as did Lloyd and December, but by the press of a button at the base of the jet, Kai activated the pneumatic steps in the side of the _Kahgei_, climbing up them almost as soon as they appeared to touch the locked door.

"K-Kai," December exclaimed, "that's the lock that incinerates you if you're not one of the Five!"

Kai pressed his middle three fingers to the touch-ID pad. Zane's eyes went wide, a more violent reaction than he had given to anything all day—Kai was going to be incinerated?

The door to the _Kahgei_ rolled aside with a soft hiss. Kai coolly slid into the pilot's seat, flicking a switch to open the door to the back seats of the jet.

December's mouth dropped. Lloyd, too, looked caught between relief and confusion; Zane could only blink again.

"You don't honestly think they wouldn't program it to accept me, if I was going to learn to fly it?" Kai said. He smirked. "Get in."

No one got in.

"We're not going to take the _Kyujo_?" December said.

Kai turned, bewildered. "The what?"

"The _Kyujo_," December repeated. "Our other jet. The last time you got in _this_ one... the _Kahgei_ is made out of Vengestone, which puts Elemental Masters in pain. Lloyd threw up last time."

"I'm not getting in there," Lloyd said, shaking his head. He looked sick just thinking about it.

Kai continued staring. Then he rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, you'll be fine. Just get in."

"Are you sure?" Lloyd said.

"The _seats_ aren't Vengestone. I'm doing just fine in here." Kai fiddled with a few more controls, with the casual air of a professional pilot. Surely he couldn't be _that_ confident about his flying skills?

"I guess, if you've only learned to fly the _Kahgei_, we'll have to take it," December said. "The _Kyujo_ is touchier, anyways, and you've only just learned."

"Hop in the copilot's seat, December," Kai said. "I'd feel better."

Zane tentatively started up the steps. The inside of the _Kahgei_ was just as he remembered it: black, with a greenish tint to it, like raven feathers. He sat himself in the middle of the cushioned seats, staying as far from the sides as possible.

Lloyd paced outside the jet as December got into the other front seat. "M-maybe I'll just stay," he said. "You guys can go. We need enough people for a patrol later, and I'd kind of like to do that."

"Just get in." Kai didn't look back at Lloyd as he said it, instead examining his hair in the windshield reflection.

Lloyd winced.

Zane held his hand out to the Green Ninja, glancing at the back of Kai's head. Was this the Whisperer's Spell, making him so... self-centered? Thoughtless? Dismissive?

Lloyd took his hand and used it to hoist himself into the _Kahgei_. He cringed as he ducked beneath the Vengestone ceiling. The jet felt hot and stuffy—the effect of the Vengestone itself.

Lloyd swallowed and shook his head. "I changed my mind," he said, letting go of Zane to back out of the doorway.

The jet jolted forward. Lloyd yelped and shimmied to Zane as the door closed automatically. Kai maneuvered the yoke, pressing more buttons, adjusting his hair.

Lloyd attached himself to Zane's arm, giving a soft squeak as the entrance sealed itself.

December looked on edge, glancing back at Lloyd and Zane. "You guys doing okay?"

"Mm," Zane said.

"Ehhh," said Lloyd, his voice tapering to a high-pitched whimper.

December glanced at Kai. "And you?"

"What?" Kai said.

"Are you in pain?"

"Not particularly."

Kai flipped another switch. The jet rolled over a motion sensor, and the wall of the Garage rose steadily upwards, revealing the launch room, a round chamber from which the _Kahgei_ would take off.

Zane remembered this, vaguely. The chamber would fill with water, and then Kai would start the engine, and the door to the sea surrounding Western NinjaGo would open, and they would shoot out into the black abyss.

"_Be still, my heart," _Jay had said, that time in the jet.

It seemed like forever since that adventure.

"My plan is straight up to the surface," said Kai. "From there, hit the Fire Temple, zigzag through the Orrora mountains, follow the badlands through Birchwood, up and over the Glacier Barrens." He then added, "and then back here, of course."

"I thought this was a test drive?" December said, as the chamber around them filled with seawater, which glowed a filtered sort of green from the bright lights on the Kahgei.

"Well, no. I want to really fly this thing." Kai jabbed a red button that turned green upon being hit. Zane felt more than heard a secondary engine hum to life. "If we get bored, we can always come back."

December sank a little in her seat. "Sure," she said hesitantly.

The room outside the _Kahgei_ was now completely full of water. The door to the rest of the ocean opened silently, yawning black.

"Kai," Lloyd said in a small voice. "Are you sure you can fly this?"

"Huh?" Kai looked over his shoulder. Zane couldn't tell if he was exaggerating or truly hadn't heard Lloyd—but then, he had never been very good at telling those sorts of things.

Lloyd forced volume. "Are you _sure_ you know what you're doing?" His voice cracked.

Kai grinned. "Absolutely."

And the _Kahgei_ shot forward into the darkness.

The first few seconds in the complete black were _complete_ terror. Kai maneuvered the steering yoke with practiced ease—though he could not possibly have more than three hours of said practice. He veered around underwater formations and columns of stone, gaining "altitude" all the time.

The air in the _Kahgei_ was depressurized, so the change outside the vehicle should not have affected the passengers, but Lloyd looked sick after only ten seconds of rising through the water.

The ocean became a shade of twilight, then a hue like Jay's ninja suit—Zane was amazed at the speed they gathered—and they split the surface of the water, shooting into the sky as fast as if the jet had been _falling_.

Kai whooped. December gripped her seat, Zane gripped _his_ seat, and Lloyd fastened himself to Zane's arm to keep from sliding into the walls of the jet.

The _Kahgei_ spun in a steep ascent. White fluff rushed past them—were they already in the clouds?—and Kai leveled out a mile above the ocean.

It felt eerily still, even though they were still rocketing forward at a dangerous speed. Zane's body hadn't yet registered where he was or how he had gotten there.

Kai, in control of the _Kahgei_, looked only slightly paler than the clouds whipping past, his eyes aflame with the thrill.

Lloyd awoke, dazed. December's head lolled to one side for a moment until she, too, jerked upright, her eyes hazy with shock.

It took them about two minutes to recover completely. Kai waited for their feedback, combing through his hair with his fingers, smirking victoriously.

December finally snapped to attention.

"Kai," she said hoarsely. "_You could have killed us!_"

Kai grinned wider. "But I didn't."

Lloyd groaned through gritted teeth. "I'm gonna be sick..."

"Your piloting skills are, em, impressive," Zane said. "It's as if you've had more than a day of practice."

"Aw. You make me blush." Kai really glowed from the comment.

"I blacked out _several times,_" December said. She was visibly restraining herself from strangling the pilot. "You could have done real damage, you—you—"

"I'm gonna be sick," Lloyd repeated, a little quieter.

"Oh, please," Kai said to December. "You're _alive_, I don't see what you've got to complain about. Seriously."

"What December says is true," Zane tried to point out. "That much g-force puts extreme pressure on the human body. It was crushing us, Kai. I would advise caution."

Kai just laughed.

"I-I'm really gonna throw up," Lloyd said, moaning.

Zane stared at Lloyd's pale face for a moment. Then he produced a shimmering bucket, made of ice, placing it in front of Lloyd, who grabbed it and immediately retched.

Kai was still laughing when Lloyd emerged from the ice bucket, wiping his mouth - in his hysterics, he seemed not to have noticed the plight in the backseat.

"Are you alright?" Zane asked the trembling Lloyd.

Lloyd swallowed hard. He was very obviously _not_ alright, but he nodded anyways. Zane wordlessly tapped the rim of the ice bucket and transformed it into a cube, trapping the regurgitation inside. The ice was thick and wouldn't melt fast.

Zane patted Lloyd's back gently. Lloyd, overwhelmed and overstimulated, managed a grateful grunt.

"Kai," Zane began. "Let's head back to Down. Lloyd is unwell."

Kai didn't seem to hear.

When Zane looked up to address him again, he caught sight of December.

Once again, unconscious.

He blinked.

The pressure levels were now as stable as they were going to get. Zane ran a silent analysis. She shouldn't be unconscious.

Kai's hadn't stopped laughing. His guffaws rang in the _Kahgei_—Zane winced from the volume in the enclosed space.

The _Kahgei _soared steadily ahead, on autopilot.

Kai flipped around in his seat. His mirth had finally subsided, and now he gazed at Zane and Lloyd in the backseat like a child would stare at a pair of beloved dolls.

Only he was _grinning_.

A huge, wicked, lopsided smile had grown over his face, his amber eyes glittering.

Something was terribly wrong.

"Ohhh, you guys," Kai said.

His fist came up under Lloyd's jaw, sending Lloyd sprawling across the backseat, unconscious.

Kai calmly slid out of the pilot's seat, into the back, and Zane understood why December was again unconscious.

In his shock, Kai grabbed the Nindroid by the shirt, jerking him close, face inches from Zane's.

Zane tried to defend himself. He reached to grab Kai by both sides of the face, but Kai's hand connected with his forehead and pushed back. Zane inhaled with pain, and Kai rammed him backwards against the wall, slamming Zane's face into the Vengestone.

Zane could not see or breathe. Throbbing pain ripped like wildfire across his jaw, nose, and forehead. Kai released him and Zane crumpled to the seat.

Kai ripped Zane's shirt away from his stomach, opening the Nindroid's chest panel. He took a fistful of wires and yanked them completely out, sending sparks into the air and blinding pain through Zane's whole frame.

"Kai," Zane tried to shout. "P-please!"

Another handful of his mechanics found the floor, torn free, dead, with _clinks_ of parts and _thwps_ of wires.

Kai took the collar of Zane's shirt again, lifting him. The rest of the bunched fabric fell back down over Zane's smoking insides.

"K-Ka-ai," Zane choked. "Wh-what—are you—_doing_?"

Kai only smiled.

He bashed Zane's head against the wall, and the world became abruptly, painfully, black.


	48. J'avi

J'avi

* * *

Down, Cafeteria

12:24 PM

* * *

Misako hadn't practiced as a forensic scientist for years.

The last she had even touched the skill had been investigating a couple's death five years ago. And even then, she hadn't been employed to investigate. She'd had a research date set up with the couple, came to their home.

Their children—twins—answered the door. Ran to find their parents.

And screamed.

They'd found Mr. and Mrs. Vildflover dead in their bed.

As they had waited for the police, Misako called upon the neighbors to watch the twins as she began the investigation. She was licensed to do so, even if a few of the arriving authorities were miffed that she began without them.

They had not been able to trace the murder, at first. Then weeks later, they found similar cases, where the body had been burned black, with no trace of a fire. Then there was a killing every day, somewhere in NinjaGo.

The conclusion finally drawn on the Vildflover case was Krovimastaa.

It had taken her hours to identify the bloodstains on the walls of Nikolai Julien's study. It was all Nikolai's blood. He had gone down with barely a fight, it seemed. Misako could not help but wonder if it was a suicide case, though there were many variables that simply did not add up.

Why would Nikolai end his own life? Here? Now? He had just been reunited with his family, he had Zane, there was no logical reason for him to have committed a suicide like that.

So she was left to whittle the possibilities.

Gahiji was the primary suspect, there was no denying it. But Misako had seen what Krovimastaa had done, at the height of his twisted, sick destruction, including Adolfjin's fall. The whole city, on fire, in pandemonium when the fire didn't extinguish, screaming, dying.

Burning.

All of Down now avoided Gahiji like he was a radioactive flame. They were so paralyzed by fear. Misako wished she had a chance to speak to Gahiji, who spent as much time as he could outside of Down, probably to avoid being avoided.

But truth be told, Nikolai's death didn't look like something Krovimastaa would do.

Krovimastaa would have burned him. Broken all his limbs and pinned him to the ceiling, charred and black. Gruesome as it was to consider, Misako had seen herself his work upon the people of NinjaGo.

_Never_ had he used a _sword_.

"Hey."

Garmadon slid into the seat next to her. His eyes were shadowed, but he offered a brief smile. "How goes it?"

Misako leafed through her photos, hastily printed out from the Control Room so she could mark them with pen. Photos of the blood spatters, yarn strung from each spatter to the walls on either side of the door, which had been removed for Misako's work. Photos of the contents of the room, which were now ash. All of Dr. Julien's studies were ash. His desk and chairs, too. Everything in his iron filing cabinets was whole, though it would take more than a few days to go through it all. The cabinets themselves had been warm upon discovery, and Misako had determined that it had been nearly an hour, upon finding Nikolai, that he had been dead.

She tried for a smile like Garmadon's. "It's going okay. I've ruled out some options."

He shifted in his seat, reaching forward to lift one of the photos from the table for inspection. "Yeah?" There was an unintentional edge to his voice. "So you know who did it?"

"Not yet. I'm missing information, I think."

"Mm." Garmadon carefully attempted to suggest his question. "Everyone Down here seems to think they already know. What do you think?"

Misako glanced at him. She gave him a careful reply.

"Did you ever _meet_ Krovimastaa, Gom? I know you were in contact with the Skulkin General, and Hokori Wyche."

Garmadon looked away. "Yeah. I met him. Few years ago. Half the tattoos, short hair—I would have recognized him before if he wasn't so healthy, now. Because he... em… he didn't look so good, when I met him."

"So you can say for sure that Kai's right?"

"Yeah. Gahiji is Krovimastaa."

Misako pursed her lips. "I don't think he killed Nikolai."

"No?"

"No. I think someone framed him."

Misako showed Garmadon a picture of the ashen room. "Krovimastaa Burned things, right? All of Julien's research was reduced to black ashes. That can be done by controlled fire. Doesn't have to be Hidoi. It's tricky, but possible."

Garmadon's eyes were wide. He exhaled. "You're not suggesting..."

Misako shuffled the photos. "As for the disappearing sword, that could also be faked." She thought for a moment. "Right? If there was some form of... I dunno... explosive device, inside the sword itself? I admit, that's where the idea falls flat."

"That's a little far-fetched." Garmadon caught her shoulder and shook it. "But if you _burned_ it, when it hit the floor."

Misako stared at him. "What?"

"Controlled fire? A sword that _burned_ away? Who does that point to?"

She continued to stare.

Then her blood froze.

"You don't—you're not saying—"

"_Kai?_" Garmadon breathed.

Misako dropped her voice to an urgent whisper, not daring to speak above it, so shocked by the idea. "That's wrong. What would Kai gain? _Why_ would he kill Zane's father?"

"Ask the Whisperer's Spell," Garmadon hissed back. "His mind is completely out of whack. If he wanted to expose Krovimastaa bad enough—"

"That's twisted, Gom. Kai wouldn't kill Nikolai to make a point!"

"You _saw_ how adamantly he accused Krovimastaa!"

"He's just a kid!"

"Krovimastaa was sixteen years old when he started murdering people."

"We're still missing so many variables," Misako said. "What about the sword? A katana doesn't just _burn_. Nothing has explained the sword so far. Nothing except Hidoi."

Garmadon growled. "Fine. It was Hidoi. Kai knows Hidoi."

Misako was in a daze. "He does?"

"He could, Misako. Who knows what that Spell has done to his mind?"

"First Spinjitzu Master."

"_Kai_ killed Dr. Julien, and framed Krovimastaa for it."

"Dear _Overlord_, keep your voice down," Misako murmured, grabbing her husband by the shoulders. "We don't know for sure. Kai's one of the Elemental Ninja. He's a good kid, Gom. He would confess."

"We need to talk to him. Where is he?"

Misako shook her head. "I don't know."

Garmadon stood. "Let's find him."

Misako hopped up and followed him out the door. "Gom, wait! We have to be quiet about it, we don't know if it was him!"

Garmadon glared at her. "That's why we're going to talk to him."

"All I'm saying is don't rush," Misako said, biting her lip and glancing around the hallway. "If it's not him, we don't want to raise undue suspicion."

"I know, I know." Garmadon opened the door to the PTR. He and Misako both peered inside to find Cole and Jay only feet from them, parkour-jumping from log to log on the course.

Cole saw them mid-jump. "Hi." He landed smoothly on one foot, throwing his other leg out for balance, shifting his weight to face them. Jay, too, stopped, landing on two hands, then reaching with his feet to grasp the other log, so that he was stretched out between them comfortably.

Garmadon waved a little. "Hi. Where's Kai?"

"Kai?" Cole moved his other leg onto the log and stood up straight. "He's flying the _Kahgei_, I think."

Misako exhaled. "Do you know when he'll return?"

"No. He took Zane out for a test flight, so he could be back any minute."

"When did he leave?"

"About an hour ago," Jay offered quietly.

"Why?" Cole inquired. He reached for a lower log, leaping onto it fluidly before descending to the floor.

"We have a few questions to ask him."

Garmadon waved again, and without warning, grabbed Misako and pulled her out of the PTR.

"Misako," he said in a hushed voice, his back to the door. "If he really _did_ kill Nikolai, then what about Zane?"

Misako's breath caught. "What do we do?"

"We can't wait. We have to talk to Kai immediately."

"Gom, _again_, we can't be sure it was him."

"But what if it was? What if Kai killed Dr. Julien, and _Zane is_ _on that jet with a murderer_?"

"Zane can fight him."

"Zane _can't_ pilot the jet," Garmadon argued.

Misako's lips thinned.

"Where's London?"

* * *

Down, Hallway

12:30 PM

* * *

London ran her hands through her hair, sick. "And no one knows where they went?" she asked, trying her best to keep her voice down. "Kai didn't say anything?"

"He said he was going on a test drive," Misako said. "Or, that's what he told Cole."

"First Spinjitzu Master. He doesn't have a wrist communicator. December won't answer hers. We have to track the _Kahgei_, somehow..."

"That'll be easy," Gahiji muttered. "We designed the jet to be invisible to most tracking systems, after all."

London groaned, putting her head in her hands. "Don't remind me."

"What can we do at the moment?" Garmadon asked.

"Notify Amilia and the Walkers," Gahiji said. "They can find the _Kahgei_, if they work together. Inform the Ninja."

"Gently," London added. "We have to keep it as calm as possible."

"The Hidein's first blows have been dealt, in the form of capturing Nya, taking the Destiny's Bounty, killing Dr. Julien, and now, taking three more of us." Misako tapped one finger to her chin. "We're going to have to figure out how to retaliate."

"Exactly." Gahiji gestured behind him at the Control Room. "Council. Keep in mind they have leverage against us. We have to do this carefully."

Garmadon started to leave. London grabbed Misako's shoulder before she could follow.

"Thank you," she said. She couldn't raise her voice above a breath. "For investigating."

_When no one else could,_ the words implied.

Misako understood, and offered a slight smile. "Mm-hmm." She followed her husband down the corridor to find the others.

London let out a shaky breath.

Gahiji nodded at the door behind them. "Shall we do some investigating of our own?" he said quietly.

London turned.

Room eight. Kai and Zane's shared room.

She narrowed her eyes. "Wouldn't hurt to look around, I suppose."

Gahiji pushed the door open, and they began to examine the room.

The covers on Kai's bed were tangled and shoved. Zane's bed was made up with a sort of absent haste—the top covers were crooked. An outfit, Kai's, was tossed over the floor. The lamp was on. There were water bottles from last night on Zane's nightstand.

"Would he be careless enough to leave evidence?" London asked. "I mean, he's a ninja. He's got to know how to... stage a murder."

"He framed Krovimastaa," Gahiji said. "Likely he thought no one would figure it out. He might have left something behind."

"So what are we looking for?"

"Anything."

London stepped around Kai's pants. "... Anything?" she repeated.

She bent down and searched the jeans. There was soot in the pockets and bloodstains across the thighs.

"How about blood and ash?" she said, lifting her darkened fingers.

Gahiji grunted. "That'd do it."

Nauseous, London rubbed the ashes between her thumb and forefinger, scooping a handful out of the jeans. There was no mistaking the purple-black color of the ashes. It was Hidein.

Had it really been Kai?

Kai, who had been infected by the Whisperer's Spell, and helpless against his own irrational fears? Kai, so desperate to learn Shauto? Kai, so adamant to save his sister?

London found Kai's iPhone, buried beneath the ashes in his pocket. They were really loaded with the stuff, as if...

Kai had meant someone to notice.

It might not be worth mentioning, but she mentioned, anyways. "I found his phone."

Gahiji looked up. "That might have something. Look through it."

London blew ash out of the crevices of the phone and unlocked it. One eyebrow quirked—she expected it to be guarded by a passcode, but there was none.

She flicked through it for a while, inspecting Facebook, then Instagram, then his notes. There was nothing out of the ordinary that she could see.

Then she checked the photos. There was a ten-minute video as the most recent recording. The thumbnail showed a dark room, dimly lit by a lamp. She tapped on it.

"Uh. Gahiji."

London sat down next to him on the bed. Gahiji leaned over to see, too, and inhaled.

The camera had been positioned against the back wall of a room, tilted to see the floor and the doorway. Many bookshelves and filing cabinets lined up against three walls and a desk against the wall closest to the camera.

"His study," Gahiji said quietly.

There was a man in a white coat standing in the middle of the cluttered workspace, his back to the camera lens.

London squinted at him.

"No," the man said, his voice coming soft through the slight static in the speakers. "No, this... this can't be..."

It was Nikolai.

London pushed aside stabbing shock. Grief, too. Oh, she hated to watch, it _hurt_ to watch. But they had to know.

Nikolai was rifling through the papers on his desk, muttering frantically. "What a simple explanation... _too _simple."

He found what he was looking for and held the paper up to the light of his lamp. He held it up long enough for London to realize that it was a symbol.

"_Sozdat' o sebe_," Nikolai said.

It was Amid. London glanced to Gahiji.

"_Sozdat' o sebe_. Create of yourself," Gahiji translated.

"What part of Shauto can do that?"

Gahiji paused. Then he answered, very quietly, "It's not Shauto."

The symbol on the page resembled a distorted black rose.

London brought a hand to her forehead. "It's—_not_?"

_It's Hidoi?_

Nikolai—he had been studying Hidoi?

Pieces connected in London's mind. He had expressed a brief knowledge of its properties more than once; more than he should have known.

He hadn't told London what he had been doing all those years in that prison tower, either.

Gahiji tapped the video, pausing it. "We talked last night," he said quietly. "He asked me about Hidoi. Confessed to researching it."

"You're kidding."

"He suggested my memories were Burned or Encrypted."

Nikolai had confronted Gahiji.

This whole time, studying the magic of the enemy. This whole time, breathing in the fumes that had consumed and destroyed Gahiji. Perhaps for years, falling into the black, _embracing_ it.

This whole time.

Dizzy, London barely caught Nikolai's next words.

"It can't be this simple. This whole time—"

_This whole time. _

Nikolai laid the page down on his desk, tracing the black ink almost reverently. "This means to split. To cut into pieces." His index finger went to the top of the symbol. "To create life of one's self... and to Burn Elements."

Of course. Clarity blossomed in London's mind.

Burn. To burn Elements was to use Hidoi. To _create_ Elements was to use Shauto. Of course, this she had suspected, but she had not dared to confirm it.

It all made sense.

Years ago. Krovimastaa; he Burned the Elements of his soul to use Hidoi. He Burned so much, used all the fuel, until all he had was a thread of the soul he used to have - becoming Hidoimastaa, an Ultimate Hidoi Master, being so consumed by Hidoi that darkness controlled _him_.

And as he used Shauto, it rebuilt the soul that he had burned away. He regained himself, building upon the shred of soul that he had retained, bringing back _his_ soul.

_Hidoi Burns. _

Nikolai was still muttering to himself, his finger sliding from the top of the symbol to the center. "To split... to Burn.."

He gasped.

"First Spinjitzu Master," he breathed. "This—this explains everything. This explains why Whisperers can use Elements! Oh... What an amazingly simple explanation."

He shook his head. "They take the Elements they want, single them out, and _Burn_ them."

Gahiji groaned.

Of course, Nikolai was right. Whisperers could be prying Elements from themselves, then burning them, causing a...

A pure reaction?

Compare it to an Elemental Master. Their soul possessed one Element. They honed that single power to a point where, when they touched it, they could cause a pure reaction. They could create the Element and wield it using the rawest form of Shauto there was—creation itself.

Could it be possible that by doing the exact opposite—by _Burning_ a single Element—one could also harness its pure energy?

London shook herself.

No.

If Hidoi only Burned, then it couldn't create. Much less harness the _purity_ of an Element.

What was Nikolai on about?

"No... that's not right." Nikolai frowned and scratched his head, turning the paper upside down. "When things burn... Ah."

And now, he smiled.

"But when things burn, they aren't completely destroyed, are they?"

His voice was rising. "When you burn paper, it doesn't just disappear; it turns part to ash, part to light, part to heat, part to smoke. Which means... as long as the Whisperers Burn the Element they want, to some degree they can control the form it ends up in after the Burning process."

Gahiji's Hidoi hand flexed. "He's right, London."

The phone in London's hands was beginning to shake—Gahiji took it and held it in his steady left hand.

"Of course, a human could do it, too," Nikolai added. "By splitting the Elements of your soul, then Burning them. Hidein have been doing it for centuries, that's how Hidoi functions—but never has a human harnessed a sheer Element through that power."

Oh, Overlord, London wished that Nikolai wasn't always so right. Her heart sank.

The power that Hidein could have! If this information ever got out, they would be given the ability to control any Element they pleased. It would be cataclysmic.

And Nikolai _laughed_.

He turned from the desk, the Hidoi symbol clenched in one hand, the other hand raised to the ceiling as he guffawed.

The picture of insanity.

"Un_real_!" he said. "The means to be not just an Elemental Master, but _the _Master. The master of all Elements, even, the _Ultimate_ Master!"

Nikolai stopped laughing. He whirled back around to face the desk.

"Oh," he murmured. "Dobryak. Is that what happened to you? Did the Whisperers steal and Burn your soul?"

Dobryak.

London froze, putting two and two together.

Nikolai had no reason to want to learn Hidoi. He wasn't power-hungry whatsoever.

But if he had thought that Hidoi might have had something more to do with his brother's death...

_Oh, Nikolai._

It was clear to London now. He had studied Hidoi out of desperation. Grief. That dear, sweet man, Gahiji and December's father—Dobryak Julien—Nikolai hadn't let him go.

London closed her eyes, which were filling with tears. _I knew him, too. Dobryak's death was so sudden and terrible... _

_But why can't Nikolai let go of his grief? Accept that Dobryak has moved on?_

The same way Gahiji hadn't been able to.

He had loved him too much.

"But..." Nikolai stopped. He frowned, then looked down at the symbol. "But if this is true, where are Whisperers really getting their Elements? Do Whisperers actually have souls of their own that they can tear elements from?"

"_Hell_, no."

London jumped. Nikolai whipped around to face the doorway at the same time as Gahiji leaned forward slightly.

The door was open, the hallway dim. Someone stepped into the room, their features too dark to make out.

"If Whisperers had souls, we would all be dead," he said. "No, they would take their Elements from their surroundings, or perhaps from mortal souls, as you suggested."

Nikolai relaxed. "Kai," he said.

And Kai stepped into the lamplight. He was grinning from ear to ear.

Gahiji touched London's arm. "You know what we're watching," he murmured, his silver eyes shadowed.

London's heart plummeted.

Kai had set up a camera in advance.

Had planned it all.

_This whole time. _

"What are you doing, Kai? What do you need?"

"Thought it was my cue. I'm glad I showed up when I did, else I wouldn't have known what Whisperers really do."

As he spoke, the door clicked gently shut.

"It's past ten," Nikolai said. He fidgeted, slipping the paper with the Hidoi symbol back onto his desk. "You should probably get to bed."

"Oh, but I can't sleep." Kai's voice sounded... off. "I'm not tired at all."

He began walking forward, that smile still stretched across his face. "This is funny," he said. "Soren will feel like an _idiot_. All this time, the secret to absolute power; it's been hidden in our birth certificate."

"What are you saying?" Nikolai asked, backing up until he hit his desk. His eyes narrowed. "Birth certificate? This is the symbol for—"

He cut himself off.

"_Sozdat' o sebe_."

Nikolai's voice shook. "Create of yourself... this symbol's original function is for breaking yourself into pieces. Pieces of yourself; in essence, creation of another person, if a half person.

"This is for Fragmenting yourself."

Kai leaned up against the bookshelf, twisting a lock of his hair in one finger. His unnerving grin only grew wider.

Nikolai stared at him for a moment.

"Surely," he said, voice unsteady, "you jest."

"Jest?"

Kai laughed. It was soft, yet unrestrained; it sent shivers up and down London's spine. "_Jest?_ Ha! How else could I do _this_?"

He waved his hand towards Nikolai in a dismissive motion, and Nikolai's desk exploded.

The papers, books, and files on Nikolai's desk all dissolved into ashes. The desk itself caught fire. Nikolai yelped and dropped to his knees as black-and-violet flames engulfed the air.

The flames put themselves out within moments. Ashes spun in the sudden stillness.

"My research—!" Nikolai breathed, staring, wide-eyed, at the soot.

"It's better this way," Kai said dismissively, bringing his hand back to comb through his hair again.

"How?" Nikolai murmured. "_How?_"

Kai chuckled. "Should I tell you, Doctor, how Kai died?"

Silence.

"I was born three days ago." Kai's tone was casual. "When you came back with Gahiji and Amilia. My brother carried me, dumping me onto Amilia when he bit her."

Hokori bit Amilia. Hokori was—this creature's _brother_?

"As she fell unconscious, we fought. Her will against mine. That was why she had the seizures—they were the result of our internal struggle as we fought for control over her and her body. But let me tell you, Shautei are _stupidly_ hard to possess."

Kai purred. "So when _Kai_, the _noble hero_, stepped in to save her from choking to death—what luck—Amilia bit _him_. Poor little Kai, with his mind in pieces from the effect of the Whisperer's song, was much easier to fight.

"I won."

The simple two words were a shot to the stomach.

"I read up on him, researched every file with his name on it, his email, texts, letters, photographs, school records, family—_everything_. I played the part of the Master of Fire almost perfectly." The personage in Kai's body ran his hands through his hair, idle. "Whatever mistakes I may have made were attributed to the Whisperer's Spell."

Hiding in Kai's body.

An agent of the enemy. A Fragment, so perfectly disguised.

He had fooled them all.

Nikolai was still on his knees. "You're... a Fragment," he whispered. "A piece of someone's soul, possessing someone else's body. Who is your father? Who were you split from—born from?"

Kai knelt down in front of Nikolai, his smile dimming. "My father?" he said softly. Then he shrugged. "I might as well tell you. My brother and I; we are royalty. Children of _Povelitel_."

London narrowed her eyes.

_Povelitel'_.

It was Amid.

She turned to Gahiji. "What does that—?"

Gahiji's lips pulled back in a snarl. "Damn you," he hissed at the screen.

"Gahiji? What—?"

"_Overlord_, London. He's Overlord."

London clapped her hands to her mouth.

"You're..."

"_Povelitel'_ means Overlord."

_Overlord_.

Nikolai was trembling uncontrollably as he crawled backwards from the Fragment. "N-no," he whispered. "It can't be!"

"It can't be?" the Fragment repeated. Kai's amber eyes glittered with twisted delight.

"But I'm _standing_ _right_ _here_," he said, throwing his arms out, hurt.

Nikolai crumpled, tears in his eyes and spilling down his cheeks.

"Hooo, boy. Don't cry. I can't stand crying." Kai held his hands out, shaking them in an abortive gesture.

"I'm so selfish," Nikolai whispered.

Kai paused. He leaned back, one hand on his hip.

"How selfish am I," Nikolai said again, groaning. "I, so desperate to sate my own grief, am studying the very magic that destroyed Gahiji, inside and out."

Kai broke into a sudden, shark-like grin. "Oh, yeah—I remember now.

"You have no soul."

A pause.

"How did you know?" Nikolai breathed.

London glanced at Gahiji. "What is he talking about?" she asked.

Gahiji shook his head. He didn't know, she realized.

"Why, it's standard procedure." Kai rolled his eyes. "Come on, now. Samukai, the Skulkin General. He brought you back from the dead, eh?"

"His elixir restored me in mind and body, but I was not restored in spirit." Nikolai corrected. More tears streaked down his face. "There's no force on this planet that can return a soul to its body, once it leaves."

London felt sick.

"Right. So, you've been living these many years, soulless. Studying Hidoi, soulless. How did that _feel_, to be without soul?"

Nikolai's form shook. "So empty," he croaked. He shivered, clutching his arms, huddling against the wall. "_So empty_."

Kai crouched down beside Nikolai. "Nonono, don't cry. It's okay."

Nikolai lifted his eyes. "What?"

Kai offered a sweet, lopsided smile. He held out one hand, and beneath his palm, darkness gathered. A low, rushing sound filled the room.

"If a Whisperer can harness Elements," he said, "then of course I should be able to."

Nikolai stayed slumped over, staring at Kai, frightened and sick.

Then he cracked.

He laughed. Weakly, grimly.

"Good," he said. "Good."

Kai tilted his head inquisitively. His outstretched hand closed around the hilt of a jagged black sword.

"I know now what is true," Nikolai said. "Or, I can now face the truth that I have known all along.

"I am dead."

London broke. Tears fell silently, relentlessly—unchecked, disregarded.

_Nik_.

He was right. He was right, damn it, and that sent an aching fury through London's heart that made the tears stream faster.

If all these years he'd had no soul, then all he truly had was a memory of what he had used to be.

No life. Not a real one.

He was not Hidein, but he had studied Hidoi. Should ever he regain his soul, he would lose himself to Hidoi. No one would ever be able to escape the unending folds of the darkness that was Hidoi.

Not even Gahiji.

He would crack one day, London knew it, and when that day came, the world would end.

_Ain't no Hidein ever gone straight. _Ed's words.

_Ain't no Hidein ever gone straight._

Nikolai cried harder. "G-Gahiji... oh, Gahiji, I understand."

Gahiji stiffened.

"I understand your pain... the agony of knowing that you don't deserve to live... knowing your own terrible sins... of knowing that you can never go back." Nikolai's voice cracked and broke. "My eternal apologies, Gahiji, you broken boy. I understand your shame."

He glanced to the ceiling, more tears wetting his hollow cheeks. "I am not Nikolai anymore. Never again, until we die, shall I be Nikolai—but I could have done something more in his stead."

He took a shuddering breath.

"Forgive me. A mere shell of a man trying to do justice to his dead name, accomplishing nothing but to harm those he wishes so desperately to love. I-I've been a fool. A desperate, blind fool."

Kai thrust his sword into Nikolai's forehead.

London screamed.

She choked off when Gahiji placed a gentle, abortive hand on her neck.

"N-no," she choked. Her breath came short, her fists clutched Gahiji's shirt collar. "No, Nikolai, no..."

_No_.

She wiped the tears, glancing at the screen out of the corner of her eye.

Kai lifted the sword—Nikolai speared to the end of it—and carried him to the door.

He stuck the point of the blade deep into the wood at eye-level. Coated his hands in ashes and smeared Nikolai's face with black. Stuffed his pockets with those ashes, began to wipe his hands clean on his pants, then switched to Nikolai's shirt.

He stepped back and put one hand on his hip, admiring his handiwork.

London retched. Gahiji's jaw clenched.

Then Kai threw his head backwards to look behind him.

Directly at the camera.

The Fragment in Kai's body _grinned_. He directed a crude hand gesture at his audience.

The video ended, and Overlord's wicked smile froze in place.

* * *

The Hidein Compound

1:20 PM

* * *

Soren was alerted that a jet had just come in for landing outside the Compound.

A jet belonging to the Five.

The whole Compound was in pandemonium, since a few of the technicians had spotted the jet about two minutes prior. The information spread as fast as—or faster than—wildfire. Soren, unperturbed, instructed his Siniy to calm the Compound and to welcome their guest to the campus.

Povelitel had been expecting his arrival for a few hours.

Soren put himself together—his cloak and boots, hair combed back, gloves pulled taut over his fingers, pistols strapped to his belt—and stepped outside his bedroom no sooner than the elevator at the end of the hall _ding_ed.

The pilot of the jet strode down the corridor towards him.

He could not have been older than nineteen. He was tall, thin, and fair-skinned, garbed in a scarlet ninja gi. His mahogany hair swooped and spiked to one side, penetrating amber eyes gazing evenly out from under it.

"Heeeey," he said, throwing his arms out to Soren.

Soren regarded him coldly. "Hey."

Eboni, Zakhar, Pyoter, and Liv all tailed the man, matching his pace, looks of crossed shock and apprehension on their faces. The man's sandaled footsteps were drowned out by the Siniy's combat boots.

"It's alright," Soren said to his apprentices, flicking his wrist dismissively. "He's not an enemy."

The Siniy all halted, but the young man continued forward.

"But Sensei," Zakhar hissed. "He's—"

"I know who he is. He's not an enemy," Soren repeated quietly. "Go."

His apprentices hesitated.

Then Eboni turned on her heel, and the others followed her lead, down the hall, reaching the elevator at the same time that the young man reached Soren.

They stood for a moment, regarding each other.

Soren had not felt the sting of his own diminutive stature in a long time, and felt inexplicably trapped and frustrated as he stared up at the young man, who gazed haughtily back.

The elevator doors closed.

"J'avi," Soren said flatly.

The other Fragment smiled, a serene expression. "Soren."

Soren crossed his arms over his chest, looking his brother up and down.

Tall. Strong. _Insufferably_ handsome.

"I put you in Amilia Vildflover's body," he said.

J'avi's smile slanted. "Yeah. Thanks for that, jerk."

"Why are you Kai?"

"Because I don't like green eyes." J'avi raised one eyebrow. "Because Amilia was damn hard to kill. Kai played the hero and tried to save her from choking to death. His soul was in pieces from the Whisperer's Spell—don't try to tell me you wouldn't have switched, too."

Soren tilted his head, acknowledging a fair point. "Kai is dead, then?"

"Obviously."

"Anyone else?"

A dark, deep, _savage_ smile split J'avi's lips. His amber eyes flashed.

"Of course. I killed Dr. Julien, and I've brought three more, to either kill or torture, whichever suits father."

"You couldn't have killed them all?"

J'avi laughed. "Ouch, Sor. You're ruthless."

"Is there anything else?" Soren was tiring of this conversation already.

"Down's location. The _Kahgei_. Dr. Julien's research."

He paused. "His research?"

"Everything Dr. Nikolai Julien studied about Hidoi, including what we don't already know."

Soren glared. "What don't we know?"

J'avi smiled.

"How Whisperers wield Elements."


End file.
